Is S’pore an inclusive society? Only 11 per cent of those who work with special-needs kids think so

SINGAPORE — Despite the considerable progress Singapore has made in raising public awareness and providing more centres for children with special needs, a survey of early intervention (EI) professionals revealed on Tuesday (April 24) that only 11 per cent think that Singapore is an inclusive society.

The figure from the survey commissioned by philanthropic organisation Lien Foundation stands in stark contrast to previous poll results with parents of children with special needs (28 per cent) and the general public (30 per cent).

Ms Arunima Bhardwaj, associate research director at Blackbox Research, which conducted the survey, said the results could be due to higher expectations that EI professionals have of Singapore society due to their constant exposure to children with special needs. She added that they are likely to have a clearer understanding of inclusion which is different from physically integrating the children into common spaces. To them, it would be about accepting the children for who they are, providing them with equal opportunities to learn, develop their full potential, and to live meaningfully.

In what was the first survey of its kind to be made public, a total of 423 professionals who work with young children diagnosed with development or special needs were polled, and 14 sector leaders also underwent in-depth qualitative interviews.

The two-part exercise conducted from February to April this year included views from teachers, therapists, social workers, hospitals and early intervention outfits.

Nearly three in four professionals noted an increased public awareness about children with special needs, while two-thirds of them lauded the growth and capacity of early intervention centres to meet the demand. Four in 10 professionals also observed a growing receptiveness among parents on the benefits of such services.

They attributed it to the formal set up of the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) in 2003, the Enabling Masterplan and The Purple Parade, a movement which supports inclusion of people with disabilities.

Demand for early intervention is set to grow with more children diagnosed with special needs due to greater awareness and testing, with the numbers from KK Women's and Children's Hospital and the National University Hospital jumping from 2,500 in 2010 to 4,000 in 2015.

The average waiting time to enrol a child in an EIPIC centre today is less than five months, down from six months in 2016. The number of EIPIC centres has doubled from 11 in 2010 to 21 today, and they are run by 10 voluntary welfare organisations that serve an estimated 3,200 infants and young children.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

While eight in 10 surveyed said inclusive education is crucial in creating an inclusive society, and a majority of 71 per cent felt that both groups of children could equally benefit from inclusive education, there are still several hurdles to overcome.

The top three barriers cited by professionals were: a lack of resources for mainstream school teachers to attend to children with special needs (66 per cent), an education system that places high emphasis on standardised tests such as the PSLE (58 per cent), and mainstream teachers who are not sufficiently trained (58 per cent).

Mr J R Karthikeyan, social service organisation AWWA's senior director of disability and inclusion said that training early childhood teachers in mainstream preschools to work with children with special needs is a "stepping stone to creating inclusive education".

"For Singapore to inch closer to being an inclusive society, we need to shift mindsets to accept and celebrate diverse abilities," he said.

CHALLENGING JOB

While 92 per cent of the respondents felt that the sector has made considerable progress over the past decade, there are a number of challenges, as about half of them (51 per cent) cited quick burnout, unattractive salary and benefits (44 per cent) and manpower shortage (34 per cent) as key concerns.

This issue was especially pronounced for those who had worked in the sector for less than two years, as compared to those who had worked for more than five years.

To overcome these problems, those surveyed suggested hiring teacher aides, digitisation of workflow to cut down paperwork, mentorship programmes and ongoing training for junior staff to develop professionally, as well as attractive scholarships to recruit new talent.

The other concerns cited by respondents also included weak integration between various EI service providers (21 per cent), and insufficient government funding beyond basic service delivery (27 per cent).

Seventy-five per cent of the respondents also called for a central authority to govern and support the sector in order to spur collaboration, and facilitate the transition for children from EI centres to mainstream schools.

While 57 per cent believed that this responsibility should lie with the Ministry of Education, 19 per cent said the Ministry of Family and Social Development should continue to oversee the sector.

Another group (21 per cent) felt a collaborative approach between both ministries would help raise the education quality for children with special needs while addressing their social needs.

Noting that the "rapid and dynamic growth" of the sector has put a "strain" on the recruitment and training of EI professionals, Mr Karthikeyan called for patience for the sector to mature, and to "focus on training and development to further improve, innovate, and stay relevant".

Agreeing, Mrs June Tham-Toh Syn Yuen, Co-Chair of the Early Intervention Conference 2018 and former Executive Director of Rainbow Centre Singapore added: "We can't change the nature of the job, but we can give more resources and necessary training to support their passion."

The inaugural Early Intervention Conference 2018 will be held on Friday to provide a platform for EI professionals to exchange best practices and raise the awareness about why early intervention is important for children with special needs.