Special Needs Schools in Singapore

Special Needs Schools in Singapore.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is more commonly known as Autism, and it affects individuals in their lives. It is the most funded and researched disability in Singapore as compared to others, but Singapore’s journey towards supporting each and every one of these unique learners continues on.

What does Autism Spectrum Disorder mean?

So what is autism? Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder where the person faces challenges in interacting with the physical and social world, while the term autism has Greek origins, where ‘autos’ means self, so a person with autism is in his or her own world, and Autism Spectrum Disorder is a spectrum because individuals are drastically different from each other (Autism Resource Centre (Singapore), 2024). These individuals face different challenges and learning needs, where some need more one-to-one support from caregivers, while others may be indistinguishable from mainstream peers.

What does special needs mean?

What is the meaning of special needs or Special Education (SPED)? It is when a person needs additional or customised services or accommodations in education or life due to physical, emotional, behavioural difficulties or disabilities (Merriam-webster, 2026). These are the diagnosed conditions that Singapore offers support in terms of schools: ASD with and without intellectual impairments, mild to severe intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, and sensory impairment (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2026).

The types of special schools in Singapore

In Singapore, various special schools cater for these students. There will be three new special education schools for students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability from the middle of 2026, increasing the number to 16 schools in Singapore, and there are 9000 students with special needs (Ang, 2026). There are various SPED schools in Singapore, such as Pathlight School, St. Andrew’s Schools, Anglo-Chinese School (Academy), APSN, AWWA School, MINDS, Eden School, Grace Orchard Schools, Maitri School, Metta School, Rainbow Centre Schools, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore Schools, and Lighthouse School (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2026). Thus, there is a higher demand than supply when it comes to catering for the educational needs of SPED students.

How does one become a special needs teacher in Singapore?

So, to be a special needs teacher means to work with students with learning disabilities. SPED schools offer personalised support for students ranging from moderate to severe special educational needs, and the minimum academic criteria include a local GCE A-Level or diploma, while to qualify for international special education, the applicant needs to have a Bachelor’s or Masters degree in special education, have completed teaching practicum in a special education school, and a transcript with the practicum and English Language competence if the degree was not in English (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2026). For passionate applicants, it is a rewarding field to teach special needs students.

The future after studying for SPED students

It may be challenging for these students to find work after their schooling years, but fortunately, Singapore is progressive in having companies that cater for the unique needs of these individuals. Many companies believe in being inclusive of persons with disabilities and have received commendations, including Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd, UOB, National Library Board, and Sentosa Development Corporation (SG Enable, 2021). It is common to visit local restaurants or retail outlets to find inclusive workplaces, where these individuals have received sufficient training. However, Singaporeans can learn to be more mindful and patient with these employees, as mistakes are bound to happen from time to time because of their inability to read social cues or understand social rules.

Is Singapore's work done?

While the journey towards inclusivity remains long and tedious, it is with a great hope for the future that the day may eventually be near, thanks to Singapore’s commitment towards special education, as seen in the initiatives of building more new SPED schools, supporting teachers in their careers, and even rewarding companies for being inclusive in their workplaces.

References

Ang, H. (3 March, 2026). Three new SPED schools for students with autism and intellectual disability to open. CNA. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/special-education-needs-schools-autism-intellectual-disability-5963391

Autism Resource Centre (Singapore). (22 August, 2024). What is Autism? Retrieved from Autism Resource Centre (Singapore): https://www.autism.org.sg/living-with-autism/what-is-autism

Merriam-webster. (2026). Special needs. Retrieved from Merriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special%20needs

Ministry of Education Singapore. (8 January, 2026). Special education (SPED) schools. Retrieved from Ministry of Education Singapore: https://www.moe.gov.sg/special-educational-needs/sped-schools

Ministry of Education Singapore. (8 January, 2026). Teaching in special education schools. Retrieved from Ministry of Education Singapore: https://www.moe.gov.sg/careers/become-teachers/sped-teacher

SG Enable. (2021). Honour Roll. Retrieved from Enabling Mark: https://enablingmark.sg/honourroll

 

Do follow me on my various social media platforms and check out my Etsy shop!

Etsy | TikTok | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Linktree | Itch.io

Mathematics in Early Childhood Part 6 (Shape)

A child playing with shapes.

In this article, Shape will be discussed.

Shape is everywhere in the world, though in mathematics, they are mainly two-dimensional and three-dimensional, so the classroom’s block corner is ideal in helping children explore shapes (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). Children and teachers can look around their physical classroom and discover that there are endless shapes. However, in mathematics, these are often the ones that share similar attributes and not random blobs.

The Big Ideas for Shape are, firstly, shapes are defined and classified by their attributes, secondly, the flat shapes of three-dimensional shapes are two-dimensional shapes, and thirdly, shapes can be composed or decomposed to create new shapes (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013).

Firstly, shapes are defined and classified by their attributes.

Shapes have rules that make each shape, such as a triangle having three sides or a square with four equal sides, so teachers should craft activities that highlight these important rules (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). Using these rules, it is easy to identify or even create shapes from loose parts. The rules also ensure correction because though a rectangle and a square have the same number of sides, only the square has four equal sides.

Secondly, the flat shapes of three-dimensional shapes are two-dimensional shapes.

Children can explore and discover that two-dimensional shapes are found on the faces of three-dimensional shapes (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). Concrete materials are great at illustrating this rule, as children rotate common household items like toilet roll cores or a box, they can discover there are hidden shapes everywhere.

Thirdly, shapes can be composed or decomposed to create new shapes.

As children gain opportunities to rotate, combine, and compare shapes, they will realise how shapes have part and whole relationships, where there are shapes within shapes (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). They can break apart a shape into different shapes, or even use shapes to create a different shape. The possibilities are endless.

So what does the role of the teacher look like? There is a wide variety of student profiles in a classroom, so teachers need to cater instruction for all students, such that the different dimensions of diversity are covered, including: Gender, culture and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, experiences, language, delays or disabilities, and developmental level (Chaillé, 2021). The lessons and classroom environment should never be a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather be sensitive to the different learning profiles of children.

Teachers understand that manipulatives help children to learn abstract mathematical concepts, but they do not contain mathematics for children to learn and are only helpful in guiding children to think in problem-solving, and one example to teach shape is using tangrams for spatial reasoning though teachers should not help them too much that causes them to lose opportunities to think, and if a child faces frustration it is better to provide an easier activity (Kamii, Lewis, & Kirkland, 2001). While concrete materials are often used for illustrative purposes, the main benefit of them is to allow children to self-discover and problem-solve on their own terms. Teachers should think critically about the types of materials found in the classroom, and never intervene when unnecessary.

Instruction and construction differ in that instruction is classroom practices the teacher carries out to provide knowledge with objectives and systematic systems, whereas construction is about how children learn through a process to actively build their skills and concepts, and in modern classrooms, both exist together (Chen, 2014). As teachers build the learning environment, children can construct knowledge and problem-solve.

Thus, the topics and Big Ideas of mathematics have been elaborated through this series of six articles.

 

References

Brownell, J., Chen, J.-Q., Ginet, L., & Hynes-Berry, M. (2013). Big Ideas of Early Mathematics. US: Pearson Education.

Chaillé, C. (2021). ECE314 Facilitating children's mathematical thinking (study guide). Singapore: Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Chen, J.-Q. (2014). Intentional Teaching: Integrating the Processes of Instruction and Construction to Promote Quality Early Mathematics Education. Early Mathematics Learning, 257-274. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-4678-1_16

Kamii, C., Lewis, B. A., & Kirkland, L. (2001). Manipulatives: when are they useful? Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 20, 21-31. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0732-3123(01)00059-1

 

Do follow me on my various social media platforms and check out my Etsy shop!

Etsy | TikTok | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Linktree | Itch.io