Non-profit submits proposals to Government to enable people with autism to get better workplace, housing support

• The Autism Resource Centre is calling for better support for people with autism and their caregivers. 
• It submitted a set of recommendations to the Government on this
• Member of Parliament Denise Phua believes the Government will take the proposals into consideration 
• Groundwork has already begun on some of the proposals, a psychologist with the centre said

SINGAPORE — When Mr Eric Chen was diagnosed with autism in 2001, he said that the support at that time was “quite non-existent”. 

Just a teenager then, he said that his polytechnic lecturer would “take note” of his condition but not know how to handle him during classes. 

Mr Chen, who is now 38, recalled that when he entered the workforce at 25, his job searches often ended with the mention of his condition.

He did manage to secure several jobs, once when he hid his diagnosis from the employers. This was the highest-paying job he had had at the time.

However, the role turned out to be too stressful and he did not stay for long. 

Now an author and entrepreneur, Mr Chen said: “If I had revealed that I was autistic, I might not even have been given the chance to try.”  

To help address the concerns that people with autism have, the Autism Resource Centre has proposed to the Government a set of recommendations calling for better support for these individuals and their caregivers. 

The Autism Resource Centre — a not-for-profit charity — released these 14 proposed guidelines at an event at Pathlight School on Monday (March 29). 

The recommendations were developed with support from members of the Autism Network Singapore and with inputs from more than 500 contributors such as professionals, families and individuals on the autism spectrum. 

Autism Resource Centre’s president Denise Phua said that the recommendations have been submitted to the Government, which is looking at rounding up the third Enabling Masterplan.

The third Enabling Masterplan charts the development of programmes and services in the disability sector from 2017 to 2021 and serves as a roadmap for Singapore to build a more inclusive society for these individuals.

Ms Phua, who is also a Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency, said: “I believe the Government will take into account these suggestions and recommendations as the next Enabling Masterplan for the nation is going to be launched.”

Among the recommendations by the Autism Resource Centre is to set up a task force for sustainable employment, which could involve representatives from the Ministry of Manpower to identify skills required for jobs that are suitable for persons with autism and other disabilities to enter industries such as business, information technology and quality control. 

Another recommendation is to provide employers with a toolkit of best practices for hiring and supporting adults with autism, so that employers may be “more open minded about recruiting them,” the Autism Resource Centre said. 

Mr Chen, who is now a community leader for autism, told TODAY that these recommendations, if successfully implemented, are an “expression of hope”.

“To me, it is an expression of this desire to invest in people on the autism spectrum, who have the potential that maybe most people cannot see,” he said.

The recommendations will be across six priority areas, which include learning for life, employment, residential living, and life after the death of caregivers. 

Other recommendations include:  

• Creating an “Enabling Academy” to identify learning needs and develop solutions to address core autism challenges 

• Increasing housing options by building more adult disability homes that cater for grown-ups with long-term residential care needs

• A comprehensive guide to support those with autism after the death of their parents. This may include having a sibling support network, rather than one solely dependent on parents 

These recommendations were well-received by Mr Bob Lee, 45, whose 14-year-old son is on the autism spectrum.

After his wife was diagnosed and cured of nose cancer in 2018, the freelance photographer had a “wake-up call” about how his son would take care of himself as an adult when he and his wife may no longer be around. 

“To enable more potential employers to hire them, we need these measures to be ready,” Mr Lee said.

“Some companies have the heart to employ people, but don’t know how to handle them.”

He also hopes that the proposals will result in more residential options for his child, as adult disability homes now are mainly for those with high-support needs. 

“It shouldn’t just be a confined space where those with special needs sit in one corner, but that it is in the community.” 

Dr Sim Zi Lin, a psychologist and autism therapist with Pathlight School, said that the best-practices toolkit for employers is being developed by the Autism Resource Centre. For adults with higher support needs, the centre has started a training curriculum with suitable content that is catered for this profile. 

The centre has also visited various care centres such as senior homes and adult disability homes, to study alternative residential models for those on the autism spectrum. 

Dr Sim said that some other initiatives are underway as well to ensure that the recommendations translate into actions. 

For example, there have been ongoing training programmes for caregivers and autism professionals that are created by partners of the Autism Network Singapore and SG Enable, an agency focused on enabling people with disabilities.  

Responding to queries from TODAY, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said that the Autism Resource Centre had sent a copy of the recommendations to the ministry before they were launched. 

“We are heartened that the autism community has come together to collectively identify priority areas and possible solutions for the community,” the spokesperson said. 

The MSF spokesperson noted that Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development, had referred to these recommendations during the debate on his ministry’s budget in Parliament last month. 

“MSF will review the recommendations and is committed to working with friends from the autism community on this,” Mr Masagos said then.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that Mr Eric Chen only managed to secure a job after graduation when he hid his diagnosis from the employers. This is incorrect. He managed to secure two jobs while being open about his diagnosis and it was only on his third job that he hid his diagnosis. We are sorry for the error.