Significant gaps still exist in providing for adults with autism: Denise Phua
SINGAPORE – While Singapore has done well in providing for children on the autism spectrum, significant gaps still exist for adults with the condition, said Autism Resource Centre (ARC) president Denise Phua.
The gaps are in three areas – living, lifelong learning and employment – and addressing these priorities will be ARC’s focus for the coming years, Ms Phua said on July 20 at a fund-raising event for ARC called A Very Special Celebration.
Autism is lifelong, and many of the children ARC once served are now adults. There is, therefore, a need to expand the range of services and support for adults with autism to help them lead quality and meaningful lives in the community, she said.
At least 26,000 people in Singapore are on the spectrum, of whom about 5,000 are under the age of 20, according to ARC. Globally, the condition affects about 1 per cent of the population.
ARC is working on initiatives to address these gaps, including a pilot residential programme where adults on the spectrum live in the community with regular support from coaches, she added.
Plans to scale this model, which currently has five participants, are under way, Ms Phua said.
The pilot is being run in a block of Housing Board flats, she added, and ARC is using it to develop systems and structures to help autistic adults live independently.
She said: “The project is meant to be repeatable and scalable, and it shouldn’t be just for autistic people. We’re very interested in helping the entire disability community.”
She added that ARC is also providing about 3,000 training seats a year at its learning academy. It has started to train adult learners with autism in areas such as digital literacy, social communication skills and money management.
Through its Employability and Employment Centre, ARC has also placed more than 500 job seekers since 2021 with employers such as the United Overseas Bank, IHH Healthcare, and Pearl’s Hill and Ren Ci nursing homes, she said.
However, most services provided by ARC for adults are running at a loss, said Ms Phua, who is also an MP for Jalan Besar GRC.
About 95 per cent of ARC’s reserves are either ringfenced for its programmes, which does not include those for adults, or have been put aside for its three upcoming campuses, she said.
This is why ARC continues to raise funds, she added.
The July 20 event, which aims to raise $1 million, also marked the 20th anniversary of Pathlight School, Singapore’s first special education school offering the national curriculum for those on the autism spectrum, of which Ms Phua is school supervisor and co-founder.
ARC is Pathlight School’s parent charity.
About 3,000 people attended the event, a carnival at Pathlight’s Ang Mo Kio campus featuring food and game booths, as well as performances by Pathlight students and Harvard University’s jazz a cappella group The Harvard Din & Tonics.
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong (centre) with attendees at a fund-raising event for ARC called A Very Special Celebration on July 20. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who was the guest of honour, reiterated the Government’s commitment to building an inclusive society where everyone, including those with special needs, can thrive.
Singapore will continue to do more to support persons with disabilities at all life stages, he added, citing initiatives such as the first Enabling Services Hub, which was launched in 2023 to bring disability support services closer to home.
Ms Phua said Pathlight has come a long way over the last 20 years, growing from just 41 students to more than 2,000 today.
Few were willing to enrol in the beginning owing to the stigma of being a special school student at the time, she said.
She added: “The school was losing money, but we never gave up. Our staff especially rose to the occasion and ensured that the quality of education that was delivered by Pathlight was what they themselves would expect for their own loved ones.
“The turning point came only when we delivered results in both mainstream academics and life skills. And the rest as they say is history.”
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