SP - Nurturing an inclusive caring community

1. The recent opening of the Special Education
Needs (SEN) Centre was another milestone in
SP's vision to build an inclusive caring
community. The $200,000 facility, which took
two years to set up, is the first-of-its-kind among
the institutes of higher learning
Nurturing an Inclusive Caring Community
During the opening ceremony

2. Understanding Special Education Needs
A student is considered to have SEN when these three conditions are present: (i) diagnosed with an
impairment; (ii) shows greater difficulty in learning compared to most of his peers of his age; (iii)
requires different or additional resources beyond what is generally available for most of his peers of
his age. Some of the common impairments among children in Singapore include autism spectrum
disorders, visual impairment, cerebral palsy, dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). Understanding the individual student's needs, strengths and difficulties can help us to decide
the right kind of support and assistance we can offer him.
(Source: A Parent's Guide to Choosing the Right School for Children with Special Educational Needs)
Nurturing an Inclusive Caring Community
Opening address by Mr Clarence Chua, Director,
Department of Student Services
Activities were held at the SEN Centre during the
opening

3. Nurturing an Inclusive Caring Community
There are currently about 400 full-time
students with special education needs and
the centre aims to provide a one-stop,
dedicated service to this group of students.
Clarence Chua, Director, Department of
Student Services, also shared, "We wanted
a special place for them to feel
comfortable, and be able to train together
and manage themselves.“
This facility has a range of resources such as
assistive devices that allows a student with
hearing difficulties to amplify a lecturer's
voice; a mini "telescope" to help a visually-
impaired student to see the whiteboard
better; or a device that captures and
magnifies text and pictures for the user.
Diploma in Infocomm Security Management student Kho Sock Teng,
who was born with low vision, demonstrates the use of an assistive
technology device for vision loss.

4. Nurturing an Inclusive Caring Community
About 500 staff members have also been trained to offer assistance to these SEN
students. There are upcoming plans to organise more workshops for staff to better
identify and manage the growing number of SEN students. The centre is located near SP
Auditorium Lounge.
Special Education Advisor, Charles Rajan, also shared during his interview with Straits
Times, that the conceptualisation of the SEN Centre was gradually formed when the SEN
initiatives first started two years ago. Before the centre was launched, most of the help
that they were able to render were limited and generic, as they may not have the
necessary staff and equipment back then. It was through various interactions and
observations that they realised that a dedicated space for this growing group of students
is essential.

5. Nurturing an Inclusive Caring Community
Diploma in Biotechnology student Ng Li Jie, diagnosed with mild autism, hopes that the
opening of this centre will help to raise awareness of the challenges that SEN students go
through and foster an inclusive community.
Under the SEN fund introduced in March 2014 for polytechnic and ITE students with
physical or sensory-related disabilities, students can receive up to $5,000 to buy assistive
devices, while those with visual or hearing disabilities can get up to $25,000.
Li Jie has a strong passion in arts and science since young. He aspires to become a painter or scientist in the
future.

6. www.sp.edu.sg
Singapore Polytechnic
500 Dover Road
Singapore 139651
tel. (65) 6775 1133
fax. (65) 6870 6189

7. www.sp.edu.sg
Singapore Polytechnic
500 Dover Road
Singapore 139651
tel. (65) 6775 1133
fax. (65) 6870 6189