How does MOE support students with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Andrea grew concerned upon discovering her daughter's language difficulties in preschool. She and her spouse were uncertain how to support their child's transition to primary school, lacking knowledge about options for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
Families like Andrea's require useful information and support to help their child navigate through the education journey. So, what exactly are the kinds of support available to them? Here are 10 info-bytes that Andrea and other parents might find useful.
#1 - How do I know if my child has SEN?
Parents can approach qualified professionals such as psychologists, medical and allied health professionals to understand if their child has SEN and the appropriate educational setting that can support their child. These professionals are guided by a set of professional practice guidelines developed jointly by MOE, hospitals, Early Intervention (EI) Centres and Special Education (SPED) schools.
For more information and resources on understanding your child's SEN, visit this page.
#2 – What should I consider when choosing a school that can support my child’s learning needs?
Parents can consult their child's teachers and professionals working with their child on choosing an educational setting most appropriate to support their child – be it a mainstream school or a SPED school. They should also consider the child's strengths, interests and needs to identify the appropriate support for them. The professionals will make a recommendation based on the child's level of cognitive and adaptive abilities.
Cognitive abilities refer to the ability to think, concentrate, formulate ideas, reason, and remember; while Adaptive skills refer to the ability to handle daily demands in life independently, including communication, self-care, motor and social skills.
Following a professional assessment, Andrea's daughter was assessed to have the cognitive abilities to access the national curriculum in a mainstream school. However, Andrea was still worried about her child's potential to do well in this environment, such as whether she is able to make friends and if she feels comfortable speaking up in class.
#3 – Are mainstream schools equipped with skills and resources to support students with SEN?
All teachers are trained to have at least a basic understanding of SEN and have capabilities to support students through inclusive classroom practices. There are professional development resources and opportunities, including online modules and SEN-related courses for teachers to develop their competencies.
Every school has Teachers Trained in Special Needs (TSNs) who have deeper expertise and can share strategies with fellow teachers to support students with more complex needs. In addition, schools have SEN Officers to provide learning and behaviour support to students, and equip them with learning tools and strategies. All primary schools have at least two SEN Officers, and secondary schools have at least one SEN Officer.
Schools strive to create inclusive learning environments where support is provided for all students based on their needs, and not just their diagnosis.
#4 – Do mainstream schools have various support interventions and programmes for students with SEN?
To help the students transit better from preschool to primary school, MOE facilitates the information transfer from hospitals and EI centres to schools with parents' consent. Upon enrolment in primary school, schools also get in touch with parents early to understand their child's needs and share details of support available in school.
There is a range of support programmes and interventions that cater to students of different levels and learning needs. Students who require additional support in English language and literacy skills can join the Learning Support Programme in Primary 1 and 2, and those with numeracy needs can join the Learning Support Programme for Mathematics from Primary 1 to 4. Students with continued literacy difficulties in Primary 3 and 4 and are diagnosed with dyslexia may join the School-based Dyslexia Remediation programme.
Primary 1 students with social and behavioural needs may be identified by schools for early support in TRANSIT (TRANsition Support for InTegration), which helps them to develop foundational self-management skills when they start primary school education. There are also peer support interventions that encourage students to look out for their peers, such as the Circle of Friends (CoF) for students with social and behavioural difficulties in primary and secondary schools.
More details about these interventions and programmes can be found here.
#5 – Apart from interventions and programmes, what are the other provisions and educational support services available?
All primary and secondary schools are equipped with basic barrier-free facilities for students with physical impairments or who require mobility aids like wheelchairs. In addition to infrastructure, MOE funds the purchase of a range of assistive learning devices for students with sensory and physical impairments to enhance and support their learning. These include Frequency Modulation (FM) equipment, text-to-speech software, and magnifiers. If a child has been assessed by qualified professionals to require these assistive learning devices, parents may approach the school to apply for their child.
MOE also works with social service agencies (SSAs) such as AWWA Ltd and the Singapore Association for the Deaf to provide roving school-based educational support services to students with sensory and physical impairments, to help them adapt to the mainstream school environment and learn better. For dyslexic students with significant literacy needs, Dyslexia Association of Singapore conducts the MOE-subsidised Main Literacy Programme.
MOE Educational Psychologists (EP) regularly visit schools to provide consultation regarding support for students with SEN. Primary schools can refer students with SEN to MOE EP for assessment. Mainstream schools have access to REACH (Response, Early intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health) - a multi-disciplinary mental health service to support students. This includes a helpline for school personnel to consult psychiatrists and referral services by school counsellors to REACH teams for assessment and intervention if students have emotional and behavioural difficulties, such as ADHD, anxiety or depression.
Source: https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/edtalks/how-does-moe-support-students-with-special-educational-needs