Category Archives: Articles & Journals

Many autistic individuals are not given the opportunity to serve national service, even in non-combat vocations (NS vital as new threats emerge: President; Dec 16, 2018). When they seek employment later in life, their exemption from NS raises red flags among potential employers and severely compromises their ability to secure employment. Autistic individuals who possess […]

DAILY activities which may be taken for granted by some pose a challenge for Nur Alfian Hakim Bin Halim. He said: “Initially, I found bed making and other chores challenging. It was difficult to tuck in the sheets as the mattress was heavy.” But 19-year-old Mr Hakim from MINDS Fernvale Gardens School – who was […]

There is a need to provide housing options for those with special needs. The Housing Board could, for example, consider building an apartment block with affordable soundproofed units for those with autism who can live independently. Those with autism have very particular needs and have difficulty compromising, which means each unit should house only one […]

It’s not often we get the chance to think about and discuss the topic of autism. It doesn’t help that the population of Singaporeans who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is relatively small, and so our likelihood of encountering them is diminished. But it doesn’t change the importance of knowing how to be sensitive, thoughtful, […]

Lue Suan’s Transformation Parents were very worried about Lue Suan’s behaviours. He tends to hit himself or others each time he wasn’t given what he wanted. He also faced lots of difficulty with sitting down and attending to task presented to him. After 4 months of ABA therapy, Lue Suan shown drastic improvements in his […]

There is another overlooked but powerful way to empower autistic individuals – providing competitive insurance services. People with autism have difficulty obtaining insurance products. Insurers become reluctant to accept them as soon as they declare they have an autism diagnosis, even if they are meaningfully employed and have good health. This is especially the case […]

SINGAPORE – Retired principal Yong Cheng Huat and his wife have two sons, both of whom have special needs. Their older son Joel, 32, has autism spectrum disorder since he was eight. The younger son, Philip, 30, was diagnosed with severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is tough being a caregiver, said Mr Yong, 62, […]

Ho Ching is the marvel we do not deserve. The wife of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shares just about anything and everything on her social media feed, including once sharing a Pornhub meme and writing poetry about the bag she carried to a lunch with Japan’s royal couple. She now continues to support the very […]

We thank Mr Dino Trakakis for his letter (Do more than talk to help disabled people; Oct 29). He called on organisations that serve people with disabilities to walk the talk. He also commented on the fees and the organisers behind an upcoming major regional autism conference in 2019. The co-organisers of the Asia Pacific […]

My Writing Journeys I’m often asked, “Why autism?,” followed by “What’s Wayang?” when I tell people about my children’s book, Open—A Boy’s Wayang Adventure. The answers don’t come in one-liners. My path as a writer has been a long and complicated one. I started a food blog some years back to cope with the loneliness […]