‘I’m not bad, I’m not ill, I’m autistic’: Woman’s relief on being finally diagnosed at 42
Loud noises and bright lights terrified her, school gave her meltdowns. For years Dawn-joy Leong didn’t know why, until she found out she had Asperger’s Syndrome, she tells On the Red Dot.
SINGAPORE: For over 40 years, Dr Dawn-joy Leong struggled to come to terms with some of her eccentricities and social awkwardness.
She had always known that she was different from her friends and relatives, but couldn’t figure out why.
It was only 10 years ago, when she was 42 and her struggle neared breaking point, that she discovered that she was on the autism spectrum – and it all made perfect sense, as people with the disorder sometimes face difficulties communicating and interacting with others.
Unlike autistic children who are diagnosed early and if need be, attend special needs schools, Dr Leong attended a regular school which turned out to be daunting – at times, even traumatic.
Dr Leong is extra sensitive to sound and light, common among people with autism spectrum disorder. “School gave me endless meltdowns. I spent all my energies in school coping with the lights and the sounds.
“Classroom sounds were excruciating because the children dragged their chairs and desks were moved around,” she recalled.
‘I COULD HEAR CHICKENS SCREAMING’
The sensory overload also resulted in her having frequent meltdowns at public places such as wet markets.
“I grew up at a time where the wet markets allowed the fresh slaughter of chickens. I could hear the chickens screaming and the water boiling.
“For a regular person, it was probably nothing, part of the background noise. But in my head, it was like an orchestra, very loud,” recounted Dr Leong, now 52.
Charity Run 2017 – Autism STEP
5km Charity Run organized by Autism STEP to help fund the children with autism for their therapy and treatments.
Come along to our annual charity event in aid of our families with children with autism.
This event is organized by volunteers from Autism STEP and money raised through sale of tickets and donations will be 100% used to help these families in need.
Bring along your friends and families to help support this event!
Event Details
Date: 30 Sep 2017, Saturday
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Venue : Punggol Waterway Park
4.00pm: Registration and tickets collection (Event Lawn @ Recreation Zone)
4.30pm: Briefing and warm up
4.45pm: Let’s run!
6.00pm: Prize presentation
6.30pm: Dismissal
Attire: Casual (Jogging attire)
Tickets must be purchased in advance, there are no ticket sales on the door. Please collect your tickets at Event Lawn @ Recreation Zone on the day of the event.
Tickets and donations can be made through: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/autism-step-charity-run-2017-tickets-36242610624
Free admission for children below 12 years old.
Feel free to email us at signup@autismstep.com if you need further clarifications.
Thank you and hope to see you at the Charity Run on 30th September 2017!!
4 Easy Steps To Get Your Child Started On Our ABA Program
We often receive feedback from parents about long waiting list and long waiting time to go through consultation, assessment and placement in centres and schools for their children. In Autism STEP, your child can have assessment as soon as the very next week and therapy can commence in no more than 3 weeks!
Special needs kids go missing in the blink of an eye
A 16-year-old boy with autism wandered the streets and braved the elements for a stretch of 10 days last month.
The slim-built boy had gone missing at about noon on March 14 at Tah Ching Road, off Yuan Chin Road in Jurong. The police sent out a missing person appeal on its Twitter account on March 16.
His frantic parents and staff from his school Grace Orchard, which caters to students with mild intellectual disabilities, combed the island, but were not able to find him.
Friends went online to help them spread the word about the lost boy but, for more than a week, there was no news of him.
It was only a full 10 days later, on March 24, that the teen was found by members of the public in Bukit Panjang. He was wearing the same clothes which he was last seen in – a red and white colour striped shirt and brown shorts – and believed to be barefooted.
It is still not clear how he managed over those 10 days – what he ate, what he drank, where he slept, how he spent his days – but the family was overjoyed to get him back in good shape.
His parents declined to speak to the media.
Incidences of children or teenagers with special needs going missing seem to be happening more frequently, say people in the special needs community, though there are no official statistics.
According to the latest data, 1,839 people went missing in 2015, up from 1,776 in 2014.
The police do not have a breakdown on the specific numbers of young people with special needs who have gone missing.
Apart from the 16-year-old teenager, several other similar appeals circulated on social media recently.
Last Sunday, a student from Rainbow Centre also went missing, and was found after a four-hour search at night.
In February, Calder Kam, a 12-year-old boy with autism, was found at Changi Airport after a three-hour search.
His mother Brenda Tan had let him out of sight for just a few moments in Hougang, and the boy had boarded a bus in that time and taken a one-hour bus journey to the airport.
Said Dr Lam Chee Meng, principal autism consultant at Autism Resource Centre: “We observe that more families are resorting to social media to help find their children with special needs who may be missing, and this development may have led to the observation that more are reported missing.”
He added: “More parents are also open to taking out their children with special needs compared with the past.”
Said Dr Yang Chien Hui, senior lecturer of the early childhood education programme at Singapore University of Social Sciences: “More children with special needs seem to be going missing because the number of children with special needs has increased in recent years, and the public also has better awareness.”
In the case of the 16-year-old boy, The Sunday Times understands that he was lost and unaccounted for several times last year.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development said it has since worked with various parties “to provide the boy and his family with the necessary support to ensure his safety and well-being”.
Ms Koh Soek Ying, 51, whose son Ryan, 21, has autism, said it is a delicate balancing act of trying to train him to be independent, yet knowing that his “cognitive ability will forever leave him vulnerable to the world”.
Ms Koh herself had a huge scare a few years ago.
Her son had a swimming competition at the OCBC Aquatic Centre. The teacher was leading them in, but paused for a moment to look at the scoreboard outside.
In the blink of an eye, her son vanished. The teacher panicked and went to the spectator stands to alert Ms Koh.
Fortunately, they found him in the warm-up pool not too long after.
Ms Koh said: “We do keep them accompanied all the time, and we try to act like a 360-degree surveillance camera, but they are easily distracted and can disappear within seconds.
For full article, please visit: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/special-needs-kids-go-missing-in-the-blink-of-an-eye
Social and School Readiness Class
Starting their school life in the unfamiliar environment of a mainstream school can be a traumatic experience for a child with autism. A sudden break in their normal routine, a barrage of new rules and a sea of strange new faces can lead to a world of trouble and embarrassment for an unprepared child.
In the course of our years of experience we’ve seen many of our children’s development halt, and even regress, as they struggle with the frustrations of coping with the intense societal pressure found in mainstream schools. Hence, we’ve put together a specialized program constructed with the dual purposes of not only preparing children with autism for the environment in mainstream schools; but also, to equip them with the essential social skills that would take them through school life and beyond.
The decision to enrol your child into a mainstream school is an important one. However, it shouldn’t be case of “sink-or-swim” where we throw our vulnerable children into the mix and hope for a good result. In order to ensure that it is a positive experience that will reap benefits for your child, preparation is key. This is why we’ve created the Social and School Readiness Program–because at Autism Step, we’re here for your child, every step of the way.
Limited slots available. Call us now at 64569950 to register for the class!
A Christmas Card from Eton
Eton, a 8 year old child that is under our care, surprises us with a Christmas card for our Programme Manager, Mr Zhang Liyuan. We still remember when we first met him few years ago where he won’t sit on the chair, unable to match and communicate, has many sensory issues and refuses to hold onto a pencil. Now, he is able to read, write and speak. We are please to see such drastic improvement in him.
Autism STEP will like to use this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!
Senior Clinical Psychologist of IMH endorses Autism STEP
Mr Gifford Chan is a Clinical Psychologist whose experience spans many years and across various demographics. Having obtained his Masters in Clinical Psychology in the National University of Singapore, he first worked as a Senior Clinical Psychologist in the Institute of Mental Health. After which, he went on to become the Principal Psychologist at Thomson Paediatric Centre and is now currently a psychological specialist with the Singapore Armed Forces.
A shared passion for Clinical Psychology and its constructive benefits to people is what drew Mr Gifford Chan and Autism STEP’s Clinical Director, Mr Zhuang Liyuan, together as personal friends. Over the years, Mr Chan has observed the remarkable results that Autism STEP has brought to the children under their care and thus, fully endorses and recommends Mr Zhang Liyuan and Autism STEP as professional and effective caregivers for children with Autism.
Case Manager
Responsibilities:
- Use ABA effectively to help children with autism
- Conducting assessment to gather information required in understanding clients’ level of functioning
- Documenting case notes, writing reports, and communicating with clients and parents to provide feedback and updates.
- Working closely with the programme manager and care givers in identifying goals that match clients’ needs
- Participating in meetings and trainings to develop relevant knowledge and skills
- Provide training and support for therapists up to the company standards
Requirements:
- At least 5 years of experience in ABA
- Degree in psychology or related field
- Ability to work independently with strong sense of responsibility, non-judgemental personal qualities, clear sense of boundaries.
- Ability to establish rapport and motivate others
- Willingness to travel
Autism STEP on GetDoc
Consultation with our Programme Manager can now be booked through GetDoc (downloadable from Playstore and App Store)
Photo Shoot for Singapore Successful Brand 2015/2016 Publication book
Our Clinical Director, Mr Zhang Liyuan, had a fun time for the photo shoot for Singapore Successful Brand 2015/2016 Publication book.
We will like to thank Ms Azlinah, Graphic Designer and Photographer, and her team for taking the pictures.
AutismSTEP