Support for Pre-schoolers Identified with Special Needs or Learning Disabilities
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the number of pre-schoolers with special needs and whether educators are equipped to support them, as raised by Mr Sitoh Yih Pin. Minister Masagos Zulkifli B M M explained that the Development Support and Learning Support (DS-LS) Programme provides therapy and educator sessions for children aged five and six in 550 pre-schools. While nursery children with moderate to severe delays are referred to the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC), ECDA is studying identification suitability for younger children with mild needs. Furthermore, the KidSTART programme is being scaled up to support low-income families regardless of developmental delays. These initiatives together form a multi-tiered framework to provide additional developmental support for pre-schoolers and their families.
Transcript
47 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the current number of pre-schoolers in mainstream pre-schools who have been diagnosed or identified with special needs or learning disabilities; and (b) whether our early childhood educators are equipped with the necessary skills to support these pre-schoolers.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Development Support (DS) and Learning Support (LS) Programme is one of a suite of programmes which provides additional developmental support for pre-school children. The DS-LS Progamme is currently designed to support pre-school children aged five and six identified with mild developmental delays or learning needs. The DS-LS programme is currently offered at about 550 pre-schools. Children on the DS-LS programme are given the necessary support such as pull-out sessions with Learning Support Educators or therapists to address their developmental and learning needs.
For the younger nursery children, there are issues of whether identifying children with mild developmental delays or learning needs at these earlier ages is appropriate and if intervention via the existing DS-LS programme is suitable. ECDA is studying these issues with agencies.
For nursery children with clearer moderate to severe developmental delays, pre-schools can already identify and refer these children to KKH and National University Hospital as well as the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) where more intensive support can be provided.
At the same time, ECDA is scaling up KidSTART to support more low-income families with the development of their children from birth. This will support the development of these children from these families, regardless of whether there are development delays.
Taking ECDA’s KidSTART programme, DS-LS programme and the EIPIC programme together, these form the range of assistance available to provide additional developmental support for children of pre-school-age and their families.