Children with developmental needs to be supported by specialised staff under pilot programme at 7 preschools

• Under the programme, preschoolers who need medium levels of early intervention support will be given help
• This is based on seven recommendations released in a report by the Inclusive Preschool Workgroup on Friday
• Further details on the preschools selected for the pilot will be released later this year

SINGAPORE — To support children with developmental needs, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) on Friday (April 30) announced that it will pilot a new inclusive support programme at seven preschools towards the end of this year.

Under the programme, full-time early intervention professionals and visiting allied health professionals will provide preschoolers who need medium levels of early intervention support with an individualised plan, which can be executed in and out of the classroom.

They will also work with preschool teachers towards co-planning and co-teaching classes, tailoring lessons to children’s learning abilities and embedding early intervention support within daily preschool routines, said the agency.

The preschool environment will be modified where necessary and viable to improve accessibility for children with developmental needs, ECDA added.

The pilot programme is built on seven recommendations released in a report by the Inclusive Preschool Workgroup on Friday.

The workgroup, set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) in 2019 to look at how to better integrate children with learning needs into pre-schools, consulted more than 960 participants in focus groups and online surveys in the last two years.

It conducted visits to local and overseas inclusive preschools to study their experiences with inclusion.

The inclusive support programme pilot, first announced in Budget 2021, aims to also cultivate an inclusive mindset among children, by facilitating activities that encourage meaningful interactions.

ECDA said it will look into fostering family-centred partnerships, where parents or caregivers are actively involved in their child’s progress and development.

It added that further details on the preschools selected for the pilot will be released later this year.

Last month, MSF announced that, from 2023, every preschool in Singapore will have an “inclusion coordinator” to identify children who may have developmental needs.

MORE SUPPORT FOR PARENTS AND PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

The workgroup also called for enhancements in the inclusive education capabilities of preschool educators and for the development pathways for both them and early intervention professionals to be better integrated.

To better equip these educators with the skills to support children with developmental needs, ECDA said it is working with the National Institute of Early Childhood Development to enhance the inclusive education component in existing pre-childhood training.

It will also launch a new certificate in inclusive practice for early childhood educators in June.

This 120-hour course will enable all diploma-trained preschool teachers who have been practising for at least one year to acquire inclusive strategies to support children with varying needs in preschools.

It consists of seven modules that will help teachers understand learning differences in children and learn how to create a suitable learning environment for them, among other things.

Taken consecutively, all modules can be completed within six to eight months. Teachers can also choose to take the modules individually over a longer period.

The workgroup also called for a centralised source of information for parents and caregivers on the range of early intervention programmes and services, preschools that offered such support and strategies for them to sustain that support at home.

In February, a set of professional practice guidelines was released for professionals to improve support for children with developmental needs and their families, and ensure a smooth transition beyond preschool.

ECDA said it will work towards publishing a parents’ version of this guide in response to the feedback.

Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development, as well as Education, said a large part of early years education is about developing socio-emotional competencies and instilling values such as kindness, respect and empathy.

“We hope to instil inclusive mindsets from the early years, benefiting both typically developing children and children with developmental needs, and lay the foundation for a more caring and inclusive society,” she said.