Singapore - Post Report Question and Answers
What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
Depends on the school. One of the other major American schools doesn't make any, really. Ours is more accepting and kids with a diagnosis get various supports in school. - Jul 2024
Early Intervention is available as are other accommodations, but parents need to advocate and discern for themselves. Preschools will not necessarily screen for issues the way a parent or medical professional would. Unfortunately there is still societal stigma surrounding these issues in some segments of the local population. Some families would rather keep a special needs child at home with a nanny rather than enroll the child in a special school or program. I do not get the sense that parents of special needs kids are adequately supported here. - Mar 2022
This has been a frustrating issue for us! There are a few private schools here offering special education, but if your child has significant needs, there are only a handful to consider. Here are a few schools to explore: SAS (mild needs; waitlists), Dover Court, Edunamics, St. Gerards, St. Clare School, Integrated Int'l School (IIS), Metta School, Genesis School. We use Edunamics/Dynamics for both school and individual therapy. Special Ed. in local Singaporean schools is generally only for Singaporeans, and there are waitlists for most programs. There are a number of good therapy centers here. Dynamics and OvSpring are quite good. There is also a hippotherapy facility called Riding for the Disabled. Special Olympics has a program for sports activities for older kids. It is possible to hire helpers here to serve as your child's aide for school. It costs about SGD400-700/month to have a live-in domestic. - Apr 2012
Not many but there is an organization there called Live And Learn that does an amazing job helping match help with kids in local and private schools where special education isn't provided. SAS has an excellent Special Ed program. - Nov 2011
I know there are pre-schools for special-needs kids so I imagine the regular schools have services as well. - Mar 2010
Most international school websites note specifically that they are not set up for special needs. There is a network of local schools, Association for Persons with Special Needs (one down the block from us), but I don't know whether it follows the same guidelines as other local schools regarding expat applicants: you're the last on the list, with admission possible after citizens and permanent residents have been accommodated. Though waitlists at some schools are short: it's all dependent on local demand and the attitude of individual school principals, I am told. - Dec 2008
