Singapore – An after-school care programme tailored to students with autism
is thriving just two months after opening.
Candy Lee and Alex Lim have turned what was an initial
shock to the family dynamic with the autism diagnosis of their son Yohanes into
action by providing a haven for other families with children facing similar
challenges.
They launched Starlight, a centre offering an
after-school care programme for students with autism enrolled in mainstream
primary schools or at Pathlight. And they have been overwhelmed by how popular
it has become since opening in November 2023.
For Candy and Alex, Starlight is a catalyst and
culmination of all the experiences, challenges, and obstacles they faced and
overcame in fighting to ensure Yohanes got the support and care he needed on
his academic journey.
The centre is a collaboration between Candy, Alex and
Johnny Fok, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and clinical director of
Intervention Services for Autism and Developmental Delay. When Yohanes went
through a golden period of preschool support, Candy found a trusted therapist
in Mr Fok and a special preschool that genuinely understood her son's
needs.
"Our family was thrust into a whirlwind of therapies,
educational programs, and life decisions," reflected Candy. "After we
learned about Yohanes' needs at age three, we started a quest to find
trustworthy therapists.”
While there are special needs after-school care centres in
Singapore, they don't equip students with the academic skills necessary to
prepare for PSLE eventually. Mainstream "after-school care" centres,
on the other hand, lack the expertise and low student-to-staff ratio crucial
for supporting autistic children.
Starlight bridges this chasm offering specialized,
curriculum-aligned care for students with autism, ensuring they thrive both
academically and socially. Mr Fok has 19 years of clinical experience in
supporting learners to overcome the challenges they face in their academic
journey. He uses evidence-based behavioural analytic practices in his work and
values a warm, fun, and trusting therapeutic relationship with his
clients.
Candy added: "We understand the delicate balance
parents face in juggling academic demands and fostering their children's social
and communication skills. In Starlight, we stand with parents of autistic
children in their role of nurturing their children's educational and social
development."
Starlight’s care programme is a holistic approach that
empowers children with special needs to flourish in various aspects of their
development, including social-emotional skills crucial for children with autism
with mainstream academic support. It equips learners with techniques to
understand social rules and establish safety and personal boundaries.
It also offers:
- friendship skills to enhance learners' capabilities to
form age-appropriate friendships, maintain conversations, and understand social
cues.
- academic skills development and learning support
facilitate practical homework completion, test preparation, and essential
academic strategies,
- emotion recognition and self-management skills to foster
learners' abilities to recognize and manage their emotions healthily.
Candy commented: "Over the years, we've grown to
trust Johnny, and I have seen how immensely he has helped Yohanes. When Yohanes
was admitted to Pathlight, we asked ourselves what more we could do for Yohanes
and children like him.
"Alex and I have run Crystal Learning, a small-group
language school for adults, since 2012, and it's really meaningful that we can
now combine our experience of running a school and Johnny's therapeutic
expertise to make life for children with autism and their parents a little
easier."
Parents and caregivers can discover more about Starlight
by contacting +65 6589 8582 / info@starlight.edu.sg or at https://starlight.edu.sg/.
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