Supporting Individuals with Autism in Special Needs School and Day Care Activity Centre

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who present with verbal and language difficulties may consistently face challenges in understanding the environment around them and regulating their emotions. These challenges may be stressful for caregivers and families to deal with.

In this workshop, we will be sharing strategies that will be helpful for individuals with ASD to build understanding of their environment and coping skills to regulate their emotions. The participants will be given practice to plan schedules and routines that will promote the overall well-being of individuals with ASD.

This skills training has 4 major components.
1) Part A provides an overview of the difficulties and needs of individuals with ASD
2) In Part B, participants will be taught strategies to help individuals with ASD to have better understanding of their environment and what is expected, despite the verbal and language difficulties. This will be helpful in developing life skills and facilitating effective communication.
3) In Part C, participants get to learn ways to identify and prevent lash out as well as strategies to manage a lash out.
4) Part D covers information and strategies to help such individuals to build emotional understanding and awareness

Course Duration : 8 hours

Part A: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
o Core difficulties in individuals with ASD
o Tapping on the strengths of individuals with ASD in supporting their growth

Part B: Understanding the social world
o How to teach and manage expectations of their environment
o Build understanding and awareness of their environment

Part C: Managing and preventing lash out
o Using ABC behaviour model to identify and manage trigger to prevent lash out
o How to manage lash out

Part D: Building emotional awareness and coping
o Building different levels of emotional understanding
o Building different levels of emotional awareness
o Managing anxiety

Part E: Building routines that support overall well-being using Case Study
o Practise and discuss

Cindy Kua

Cindy Kua has more than 15 years of experience in providing therapy for children and adolescents (age 2+ to 19 years old) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Till date, Cindy has worked with hundreds of individuals with ASD, of all functioning levels. She has also provided many training workshops and talks for families as well as teachers and professionals on supporting children with ASD. Cindy has wide range of experience in working with children and adolescents with ASD; it ranges from being a therapist in the Early Intervention Programme (EPIC) at the Autism Association (Singapore), to being a Home- based Therapist, Educational Therapist, Shadow teacher and a Senior Psychologist in a child and adolescent mental health clinic (Neurobehavioural Clinic @ Child Guidance Clinic, IMH). Cindy is currently in private practice. Throughout her career in this field, she actively sought for opportunities to work with children with ASD in different settings so that she could gain good understanding of the difficulties of children with ASD across the different aspects of their functioning. Cindy holds a Master degree in Applied Psychology (Singapore) and a BSc in Psychology (Hon) (Singapore).

Available Funding

SkillsFuture Credit: Can be used to pay course fee fully or partially

NCSS (PCG Pre-Approval Funding): 30% ($180)

NTUC UTAP: NTUC union members enjoy 50% unfunded course fee support, capped at $250 or $500 (aged 40 years old and above)

This workshop is designed especially for parents and professionals who would like to learn strategies to help individuals with ASD to have better understanding of their environment and to build skills to cope with their emotions.
The strategies taught in this workshop are targeted for individuals with ASD who are in specials schools and DAC, for all ages.

It is suitable for:

1.⁠ ⁠Professionals working with individuals with ASD eg, Special School Teachers, Therapist, Psychologist
2.⁠ ⁠Parents of children or adolescents with ASD of all ages

Educational Institutions and Schools will especially benefit from this course.