The Spastic Children’s Association of Singapore (SCAS) helps out children suffering from cerebral palsy, whose motor functions are impaired due to brain damage at birth and at early stages in childhood. They provide special education through the Spastic Children’s Association School which cares for over 250 children between the ages of 5 and 18. These children have multiple disabilities which disallow them from receiving education in mainstream schools. The low teacher to student ratio permits greater individual care for each child. They are taught skills for independent living and academic skills through a specialised curriculum.

The Rehabilitation Centre not only caters to the needs of the children in the special school, but also provides valuable services to pre-schoolers and out-patients. Their Home Management Programme sees caring therapists providing home-based therapy to 70 more disabled non-ambulant clients.

The Early Prevention Programme for Infants & Children (EIPIC) in placed, provides early therapy intervention for about 65 children aged between a few months to 6 years old, suffering from one or more disabilities, with the potential of attending Special Education School or the mainstream school environment. Its aim is to maximize the developmental growth of each child by providing holistic and individual developmental programmes for the child and to prevent and minimise the risks of secondary disabilities through support and training for child and family.

They also have the Sheltered Workshop, Goodwill, Rehabilitation and Occupational Workshop (GROW). It provides vocational training and employment opportunities for about 80 clients aged 18 years and above. At the Workshop, the trainees are taught manipulative skills by engagement in various assembling tasks such as tube bending by machines, letter shopping and project management where they produce unique craft gifts and corporate gifts. The trainees are also given the opportunity to engage in social enterprise by operating the thrift shop and snack shop. Employment opportunities are sought for trainees who are successful during their training placement at the workshop. Many have been placed as production operators, office attendants and warehouse assistants. Through this initiative, they are better equipped with skills for survival in society.

You may visit their website at http://www.spastic.org.sg/ to learn more!