Dr Veerasamy Senthamil Selvan
Senior Consultant in the Department of Medicine in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH)
Ambassador for AutismSTEP Dr V S Selvan is a Senior Consultant in the Department of Medicine in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH). He is also an examiner and lecturer for both the postgraduate and undergraduate programmes in the National University of Singapore’s School of Medicine. Having done his formal training in medicine in the University of Madras (India), he went on to complete his postgraduate degree (Doctor of Medicine) in India as well. After which, he obtained a membership with the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and became a fellow of the Academy of Medicine in Singapore. He has worked with various reputable hospitals in India and Malaysia for about 15 years now, and has been working in Singapore since 2002. He has a special interest in General Nephrology and is an active member of many social and grass-root organisations in Singapore.
In 2010, a personal friend of Dr Selvan’s, impressed by the remarkable results Mr Zhang Liyuan had garned while working with children with autism, introduced the two. Even then, Zhang Liyuan’s work had already helped countless children with autism to make tremendous improvements in terms of social skills, language skills, cognition and behavior. Having full confidence in Liyuan’s professionalism, knowledge and integrity, Dr Selvan has invited Liyuan to be the consultant and principal trainer of an Autism school that he plans to open in Chennai.
A child’s early years is a crucial window for timely and effective intervention. Dr Selvan has seen many families who, after engaging the wrong service providers, end up wasting not just their resources but more importantly, the child’s time, which can lead to missed opportunities when it comes to making the most powerful impact on an autistic child’s development. Hence, Dr Selvan has decided to personally endorse Mr Zhang Liyuan, and commends him for making a big difference in the live of the children with autism and their families.
Mr Gifford Chan
Clinical Psychologist
Ambassador for AutismSTEP 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 AutismSTEP’s Clinical Director, Mr Zhang 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 AutismSTEP as professional and effective caregivers for children with Autism.