MICA (P) 036/02/2012 Issue No. 1/2012

M i n d s C r a f t

i s S T A C K I N G U P

O N C R E A T I V E

S T A T I O N E R Y P R O D U C T S

MINDS’ VisionTo be a world-class voluntary welfare

organisation that advances the development, well-being and aspirations of persons with intellectual disability and

their integration into society

MINDS Headquarters800 Margaret DriveSingapore 149310

Tel: 6479 5655 Fax: 6479 0706Website: www.minds.org.sg

MINDS Centres

Idea Employment Development Centre29 Rosyth Road, Singapore 546190

Tel: 6282 4852 Fax: 6280 5078

SIA-MINDS Employment Development Centre

800 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149310Tel: 6473 1148 Fax: 6473 3885

Woodlands Employment Development Centre

30 Woodlands Ring Road, #01-02Singapore 737883

Tel: 6366 3966 Fax: 6366 7422

Ang Mo Kio Training & Development Centre

Blk 134 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1677Singapore 560134

Tel: 6456 4174 Fax: 6456 0570

Clementi Training & Development Centre

Blk 304 Clementi Ave 4, #01-487Singapore 120304

Tel: 6776 8743 Fax: 6776 8741

Napiri Training & Development Centre7 Lorong Napiri, Singapore 547533Tel: 6387 7662 Fax: 6387 3357

MINDS Special Education Schools

Fernvale Gardens School7 Fernvale Road, Singapore 797635

Tel: 6481 6697 Fax: 6483 2631

Lee Kong Chian Gardens School802 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149311

Tel: 6473 8332 Fax: 6473 4776

Towner Gardens School1B Lengkong Lima, Singapore 417557

Tel: 6446 2612 Fax: 6243 7498

Woodlands Gardens School30 Woodlands Ring Road, #01-01

Singapore 737883Tel: 6468 0566 Fax: 6468 2142

MINDS Home & Hostel / Group Home

MINDSville@Napiri7 Lorong Napiri

Singapore 547533Tel: 6387 7662 Fax: 6387 3357

MINDS Social Enterprise

800 Margaret DriveSingapore 149310

Tel: 6473 7512 (ext.244)Fax: 6473 0831

CONTENTS

Advisory CommitteeThe Public Relations, Education & Communications CommitteeChairman: Boo Chong HanMembers: Doreen Yap | Daniel Tan | Lee Seng Liang | Keh Eng Song | Brenda Lee

Editorial CommitteeAdvisors: Keh Eng Song / Jeannie HoEditor: Brenda LeeMembers: Anthony Tan / Sharon Ng / Josephine Ong / Suzana Soo / Chao Ye Peng / Prema Thevarajah / Ng Mun Wai / Inez Toh / Koh Gee May / Ling Chong Beng / Rose Kwek / Rosalyn Peng / Shafiyah Sarwan / Mike Koh / Mimi Tan / Gerald Ng

MINDSpeak is published by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS).

Designed and printed by adamsapple.

© Copyright is held by the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any forms or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recordings or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. All views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of publisher.

1. Message from the CEO

2. Rhapsody of Joy

3. Majulah Singapura!

4. Regardless of Race, We are Singapore

4. NUS EVC (Eusoff Hall Voluntary Corp) Day Camp

5. Let’s meet at Fernvale

6. Siblings Camp - Teen Building 2011

7. A beautiful day-out at Chinese Garden

8. Entering the world of Open Employment The personal journey of Akari Inoue

9. Supporting a MINDS Client On-The-Job Guiding Akari

10. One Proud Moment

11. Spiderman Arrives at MINDS Schools!

12. A look into Community Group Home

13. Healthy Lifestyle @ SMEDC

14. WEDC MINDS Food awarded Food Tuckshop License

15. Special Olympics 2011

15. TGS Overseas Learning Journey To Malaysia

16. Glitz and Glamour with the Miss World Contestants

16. Goal! ~ Soccer clinic organised by YMCA at ITE College West

17. iReflect - A Special friend indeed A glimpse into the social lives of Persons with intellectual disability

17. On our Coverpage and Rear page

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Almost 50 years ago on 29 May 1962, the Singapore Association for Retarded Children (SARC) was registered as a society by a pioneering group of civic conscious people who wanted to do their bit for children with intellectual disability who at that time did not have any specific organization to cater to their special needs. What started out as a pilot education centre project with a single classroom for 26 children with intellectual disability has grown into an organization that today runs four special education schools, three sheltered workshops, three day activity centres and a residential facility, serving a total of 2,400 persons with intellectual disability. The Association changed its name to Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) on 11 June 1985.

We will be celebrating MINDS’ 50th Anniversary with a series of events in 2012. The golden jubilee celebrations will start off with a 50th Anniversary Dinner on 25 May 2012. President Tony Tan and Mrs Tan have kindly accepted our invitation to be the Guests-of-Honour. A Commemorative Book on our 50-year journey will be launched at the Dinner.

A series of exhibition and open houses will be held to create public awareness and promote social integration for persons with intellectual disability in July 2012. A 3-day exhibition will take place at Jurong Point from 27 to 29 July 2012. At the same time, there will be open houses and other activities organized by our schools and centres to reach out to the neighbourhoods.

For our clients and caregivers, a Family Day will be held at the Singapore Zoo on 22 September 2012. This is to provide an opportunity for our clients and their families to come together with MINDS staff to have a day of fun and togetherness. The Zoo is a public place and well visited by locals and overseas visitors. Holding the MINDS Family Day at the Zoo will also raise public awareness of MINDS and encourage community acceptance of persons with intellectual disability.

As we look forward to an exciting 2012, we also take a quick reminisce of some events in the last few months.

A series of psychosocial- educational workshops was organized by Fernvale Gardens School for parents to network and share common issues facing them at different stages of their children’s life. Parents were also challenged to think of the long-term plan for their children after their graduation from the school. Some parents also shared their parenting journey.

“Teen Building 2011” saw 17 special needs youths from various MINDS facilities and their teenage siblings coming together for an overnight camp. The teenage siblings had the opportunity to share their experiences with other youths facing similar challenges of having brothers or sisters with special needs. Facilitated by MINDS social workers, they engaged in reflective discussion with one another. With the Camp, we hope that the teenagers have found a platform to support each other.

Read about the touching story of two very special friends at Idea EDC and their connections with each other. Our clients are often not able to communicate their feelings and emotions. We have to constantly remind ourselves that they too experience social interactivity, relationships and friendships.

MINDS celebrated the talents of persons with intellectual disability on 14 and 15 October 2011 with a concert entitled “Rhapsody of Joy”. Some 195 beneficiaries from MINDS schools and centres showed their parents and caregivers what they are capable of when given the stage to express their creativity and abilities. Through the concert, we hope to enhance the students and adults’ self confidence and self esteem.

3 male and 3 female residents from our MINDS Hostel at Lorong Napiri have been living in two HDB rental units since May 2010 as part of our 3-year Community Group Home Pilot Project. These ladies and gentlemen are much happier now that they have their own “home”, exercising choices in their daily independent living and participating in community and grassroots activities. The Community Group Home serves to fill a gap for those who are capable of independent living to live within the community rather than in a home or hostel. They will remain a part of the community even if their parents are no longer with them. Parents who are interested to explore this option for their children are encouraged to get in touch with us for an exploratory discussion.

Thanks to a team of very dedicated staff from the EDCs and the Job Placement/Job Support Programme, MINDS closed 2011 with successful placements of a total of 40 persons with intellectual disability in open employment under the 3-year pilot Job Placement and Job Support Programme. Although the Programme is supposed to serve all persons with intellectual disability in Singapore, we found ourselves looking for potential candidates from the three MINDS EDCs as there were only a handful of external referrals. In this issue, we share two success stories; the journey of Ms Yoko and her daughter Ms Akari from SIA-MINDS EDC, and Ms Ang Poh Hua from Woodlands EDC. We urge more parents and caregivers to encourage and support their children in taking up open employment opportunities so that they will be better integrated into the society.

Happy reading!

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

Mr Keh Eng SongChief Executive OfficerMINDS

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• Text & Photos by: Ms Brenda Lee, Corporate Communications Executive •

RHAPSODY OF JOY

On 14 to 15 October 2011, MINDS held a concert entitled “Rhapsody of Joy” at the Republic Cultural Centre, Republic Polytechnic. Held once every two years, the concert which involved performance groups from all MINDS schools and centres was a joyous occasion held to celebrate the talents of persons with intellectual disability. It is also a time for the parents and caregivers of our clients to witness and take pride in their children’s potential and creative abilities.

A total of 195 students, trainees and clients across the various schools and adult centres of MINDS performed 16 invigorating performance items. Routines included a wide array of dance recitals, gymnastics, hip-hop, singing and even an elaborate, rhythmic drum routine. Ms Chia Poh Hong, Director of School Services & Head of MINDS’ Curriculum Development Unit commented, “Performing arts provides an avenue for our students and adults to express their creativity and enhances their self confidence and self esteem.”

The concert ended with a rousing applause from the audience. MINDS salutes the efforts of all its performing beneficiaries who had tirelessly practised their choreographed routines for months and months!

Each performance utilized a splendid array of colourful costumes and props

Rockin’ it out with MINDS Perform from SMEDC

Bollywood Extravaganza!

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MAJULAH SINGAPURA!

• Text by: Mr Abdul Hafiz, Assistant Training Officer • Photos by: ATDC •

On 8 August 2011, Ang Mo Kio TDC (ATDC) celebrated Singapore’s birthday with fun filled games and laughter. We had great companions from our corporate volunteers from Goldman Sachs, caregivers and guests; totalling about 120 participants, including our clients and staff.

Although it was a really hot day, it did not dampen the spirits of the volunteers, caregivers and clients as we headed out for outdoor activities. The celebration started with the marching in of our very own ATDC-MINDS flag contingent, followed by the recital of the Singapore pledge and singing the national anthem. A great line-up of games organised by the staff of ATDC followed.

Some of the activities required skilful handiwork, as demonstrated by our Acting Supervisor, Mr Edward, who drew a magnificent overview of Singapore’s downtown skyline on styrofoam. It was drawn to create a huge jigsaw puzzle for the teams to put back together.

Another exciting game has definitely got to be the “Singapore Cheer”, where the volunteers had to come up with creative and somewhat funny cheers depicting Singapore’s history and modernisation. Not contented with just creative cheers, the volunteers were given props for them to act out their cheers together with the clients.

After all the fun and games, our nation’s birthday celebration concluded with a cake cutting ceremony. We invited clients, staff and volunteers whose birthday fell in the month of August to be a part of the cake cutting as well. To top it all, everyone was treated to a delicious buffet lunch spread generously sponsored by Goldman Sachs.

ATDC would like to thank Goldman Sachs for their involvement in reaching out to their community. The day certainly ended on a high note with everybody thoroughly enjoying themselves and the day’s festivities. Happy 46th National Day Singapore!

Our dearest volunteers Creating the world of modern Singapore Count on me Singapore! Count on me to give my best and more!

Celebrating our nation’s birth under one roof

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REGARDLESS OF RACE, WE ARE SINGAPORE

NUS EVC (EUSOFF HALL VOLUNTARY CORP) DAY CAMP

• Text By: Mdm Flora Dcruz, Assistant Training Officer • Photos By: Mdm Shafiyah Sarwan, Head of CTDC •

• Text By: Mr Muhammad Rasyidi Bin Rosdi, Assistant Training Officer • Photos By: Ms Murni Bte Sab Adi, CTDC •

To eradicate racism totally is difficult if not impossible because you are dealing with people’s emotions and mindsets, which have been molded through years of misconception. However, we must try to lessen racist attitudes through education and information. This will help people understand more about other races, religion, cultures and beliefs.

In Singapore, Racial Harmony Day is commemorated on the 21st of July. On this very day, in 1964, Singapore saw the first and worst ever racial riot. History has taught us a very valuable lesson about the necessity of living harmoniously with one other.

Here in Clementi Training & Development Centre (CTDC), we felt the need to introduce and instil into our trainees the importance of racial harmony. It would thus be the first time we decided to celebrate Racial Harmony Day at the centre. In schools all across the nation, students are encouraged to dress up in traditional ethnic costumes such as the

What is life without having good bonding and fun interaction with one another? 33 trainees and seven staff members from Clementi Training & Development Centre (CTDC) were invited to a day camp at National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Eusoff Hall on 14 July 2011 by a group of warm-hearted student volunteers from NUS. The day camp was to promote integration, cohesiveness, social bonding as well as to increase the level of awareness on intellectually disability amongst the undergrads. Furthermore, it provided a great opportunity for our trainees to integrate into society. Each volunteer was paired up with a trainee throughout the day camp as teamwork was required.

One of the activities planned was to create a “tie and dye” t-shirt. The process involved tying lots and lots of rubber bands and knots on the t-shirts. After the very knotted and odd looking

Finally after all the activities, fun and bonding with each other throughout the day camp, it was time to bid farewell and head back to centre. It was almost difficult for the trainees to bid their goodbyes as both the volunteers and trainees had a ball of a time. The trainees were making their way out of Eusoff Hall reluctantly but it was a clear that the times spent would serve as good memories residing in their heart always.

Source: www.library.thinkquest.org

Our multi racial ambassadors in their best outfits depicting “We are ONE”!

Our best dressed ladies; trainees from Training Unit 2

Volunteers and trainees gathering for a photo taking session with their tie & dye t-shirts

A volunteer & a trainee enjoying the company of one another in “comfort”

Cheongsam, Baju Kurung and Sarees. So with one accord, CTDC’s trainees, caregivers and staff did exactly that on Racial Harmony Day.

Indeed, it was such a colourful and wonderful event! We had fashion parades featuring different ethnic groups, sang songs from different cultures and races. There were also delightful performances by our caregivers! We feasted visually and gastronomically as well as a wide array of traditional ethnic food was served. In all, it was a unique experience to have everyone dressed and learning more about different ethnic groups.

t-shirt is done, the students and trainees worked together to soak the t-shirts into a tray filled with coloured-dye solution.

Besides creating their own “tie and dye” t-shirt, the volunteers and our trainees spent time having lunch together, interacting and getting to know each other better. In addition, there were many enjoyable activities such as painting, sing along sessions, dancing and games that encouraged learning and interaction through fun-filled activities.

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Our best dressed ladies; trainees from Training Unit 2

Let’s Meet@Fernvale is a series of psychosocial-educational workshops organised for parents of Fernvale Gardens School (FGS). It was organised to serve as a platform where parents of children at different levels (Junior, Senior and Special) meet, network, acquire information and discuss about common issues that they are facing at different stages of their children’s life.

The workshop for our Junior level’s parents was held on 12 March 2010. We were privileged to invite members of our MINDS CSG to share with us their parenting journey. During the discussion, parents shared with each other what were some of the goals they had set for their child and to look at possible steps to achieve these goals.

The focus of the Special level workshop which was held on 16 April 2011 was about improving students’ self-help skills. Parents acquired tips from the various Allied Health Professionals and teachers, on Activities of Daily Living (ADL) skills training, functional communication, behaviour management and recreational activities. Parents also shared their experiences and discussed options for their children upon graduation.

For the Senior level workshop which was held on 9 July 2011, parents were challenged to think about a more holistic plan for their child after he or she graduates from school. Invited speakers included Mr Koh Seng Choon, the founder of Dignity Kitchen and also parents of former FGS students. The aim of the message was to promote a more balanced quality of life for our students after they graduate from school. Parents were so motivated after the workshop that they organised a trip to Dignity Kitchen to experience the training themselves.

Parents who attended the session found the platform for discussion and sharing amongst parents very helpful. They appreciated the opportunity to be able to network with fellow parents that have similar concerns. They hope that the school would be able to organise more of these workshops in the near future.

An FGS social worker introduces the speakers

A parent sharing his learning journey

Teacher sharing resources with parents

LeT’s MeeT @ FERNVALE

• Text & photos by: FGS •

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SIBLINGS CAMPTEEN BUILDING 2011

• Text: Ms Oh Li Ling Cherlyn, Social Worker • Photos by: MINDS Social Workers •

While most teenagers went on holidays, scouted for part-time jobs or attended remedial lessons during their June holidays, a group of extraordinary youths took time aside to attend a camp specially planned for them by MINDS’ social workers.

The overnight camp, Teen Building 2011, was held from 3 to 4 June 2011 at Lee Kong Chian Gardens (LGS) School, and was planned specifically for youths with special needs and their siblings. Siblings of children with special needs often face a variety of difficult challenges. They find it difficult to relate to their peers who are unable to understand their lives. Teen Building 2011 was organised to help these youths foster rapport with other youths facing similar challenges. Altogether, 17 special needs children from various MINDS facilities attended the camp with their siblings.

On the first day, the youths participated in ice-breakers, followed by a series of challenging high element activities at SHINES Outdoor. The aim of these activities was to promote camaraderie among the youths, in preparation for the sharing session held in the evening. Bonds were quickly formed among the youths as they supported one another through the mental challenges and physical obstacle courses.

Later that evening, the youths had a thoughtful session under the facilitation of MINDS’ social workers. They shared and engaged in reflective discussion with one another on topics relating to their situation. This platform of being able to share one’s difficulties and have a support group who could understand their predicament is an important one in providing emotional support to these siblings.

Following the sharing session, the siblings enjoyed a sumptious late-night supper while watching an inspirational movie on overcoming adversity and emerging as a stronger person.

Siblings sharing with each other what they have discussed

Participants playing together with their siblings with special needs

Participants overcoming their fear as their friends cheer them on

The following day, other family members of the participants were invited for a half-day session. Parents were gathered in a room for a workshop with some of the MINDS social workers, while participants with special needs joined their siblings for team activities in the hall.

Finally, everybody gathered back together in the hall for a family activity. Each family was given an umbrella and had to create a family umbrella. They had a fantastic time pulling together their creativity to arrange and decorate the umbrella in a manner that best represents them as a family. Some of the families later shared the story and reasons behind their design. There were certainly many impressive family sculptures!

All too soon, it was time for goodbye, but not before the participant families exchanged contact details with one another for future meet-ups. The camp came to a close, but we know it is only the beginning of strong and inspiring friendships formed amongst the families.

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A BEAUTIFUL DAYOUT AT CHINESE GARDEN

• Text by: Ms Hema D/O Thenarassu, Assistant Training Officer • Photos by: Mdm Flora D’Cruz, Assistant Training Officer •

See the joy reflected on their faces in relishing the opportunity to appreciate the garden’s scenic beauty

Painting activity with a volunteer

On 29 July 2011, the Boys’ Brigade from Boon Lay Secondary School organized a trip for Clementi Training & Development Centre’s (CTDC) trainees to Chinese Garden. The aim was to facilitate the trainees in their integration into society, as well as to increase public awareness of persons with intellectual disability. They also wished to understand the needs of those with intellectual disability to assist them in future projects.

During the volunteer briefing before the actual outing, the Boys’ Brigade volunteers were taught a few basic gestures to recognise a trainee’s need to drink, wait or go to the toilet. This training was put to practice on the actual day of outing.

The trainees were divided into three different groups catering to different activities such as kite-flying, touring and painting. Kite-Flying was a fun and whimsical affair which produced many smiles and much laughter from everyone. The trainees learned to manoeuvre the kite in the air, which was a a good activity to help strengthen their hand-eye coordination.

Touring around Chinese Garden was breathtaking! We got to view the legendary Chinese statues. Although the walk was long, it was very pleasant and calming. We took the opportunity during the tour to bond with one other and indulge in the beauty of Chinese Garden by capturing it in photography. There were groups also involved in a painting activity. Instead of preparing a picture for them to paint on canvas, the art groups were encouraged to observe the scenery and paint their interpretation of it.

Trainees were later treated to a scrumptious McChicken meal to round of the day’s events. The volunteers interacted well with our trainees; persevering to understand them better by interacting and caring for their needs throughout the day. Our trainees had a great time, and apart from having the chance to interact with people outside of their normal circles, they learnt to fly a kite and articulate their imagination and thoughts through painting. Furthermore, our trainees engaged in gainful activities too. They learnt to use facilities outside of their daily centre engagement and took initiatives to keep their surroundings clean by throwing rubbish into public bins.

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“Sometimes I didn’t want to do the things they want me to as I’m afraid I can’t do it well and will disappoint them, but my mom always talks to me and tells me I can do it. She will always tell me that it

is for my own good and encourages me to try and not to give up. I listen to my mom because I trust her and she knows what is best for me.” ~ Akari Inoue

ENTERING THE WORLD OF OPEN EMPLOYMENT~THE PERSONAL JOURNEY OF AKARI INOUE~

• Text by: Mr Jason Sim, Job Placement Executive • Photos by: JPJS •

Right from the beginning, Ms Yoko had always been very pro-active and supportive of her daughter, Akari Inoue and her journey into open employment (OE). Upon graduation from Lee Kong Chian Gardens School (LGS), she began vocational training a MINDS Food in SIA-MINDS Employment Development Centre (SMEDC). During the course of her training, Ms Yoko welcomed feedback concerning her daughter’s work performance at SMEDC.

When it was identified that Akari had potential to pursue open employment, Ms Yoko worked closely with Akari’s Training Officers in their training plans and behaviour intervention programmes to improve Akari’s work endurance, skills, attitude and level of productivity. This cooperative effort was pivotal in shaping the Akari we know today.

With the inception of the Job Placement / Job Support Programme (JPJS), job placement officers were able to help source and secure Akari a job. At that point in time, Akari had grown comfortable in working for

Ms Yoko was very open to the various job matches recommended to Akari by the JPJS Team. She understood the need for her daughter to be able to work shift hours (sometimes in the afternoons and evenings) and weekends to increase Akari’s employability in the F&B, Cleaning, Service and Hospitality industries. These industries also provide suitable job matches for MINDS clients who are referred by JPJS. Although Akari was turned down several times by potential employers, her mother and her were not disheartened. They took these incidents as learning experiences whilst keeping an open mind that something good will turn up.

Assessing that Akari would need to undergo further specialised skills training to increase her employability, the JPJS Team then suggested that Ms Yoko send her daughter for the “Hawker Training Program” conducted at Balestier Market by Dignity Kitchen. Every working day, mother

and daughter would travel from Dover to Balestier. And despite the inconvenient distance, Ms Yoko remained understanding and supportive of the training program.

Upon graduating from the training program, the JPJS Team successfully found her a job as a Service Staff at Laksania (Serangoon Nex outlet), a Singaporean café serving Laksa. It was at this moment that Ms Yoko realised that her daughter had transitioned to adult working life. As routine is fundamental at this phase, Ms Yoko made arrangements to ensure that other activities did not clash with Akari’s work schedule.

It took quite a while for Akari to finally adapt and transition into the working world of Open Employment. But it has been richly rewarding to see her well settled at Laksania. Since she began working, there has been nothing but positive feedback and praise from her management on her

positive attitude and work performance. Emplacing a client into Open Employment will always require a “Many Helping Hands” approach – from the JPJS team to employers. It is also essential that respective caregivers are supportive and involved. In the case of Akari, much recognition and credit goes to Ms Yoke Inoue, a proud mother and pillar of support to her daughter.

Read the next article to see the detailed steps taken by the JPJS team to transition a MINDS client identified for Open Employment (in this case, Akari) into the reality of the working world.

MINDS Food and expressed some reluctance in venturing out to open employment. However Ms Yoko understood the importance of creating opportunities for Akari to be independent and was very supportive at the prospect of Akari’s transitition from the sheltered workshop to an actual working environment. Akari would not have found gainful employment if it were not for her mother’s constant effort in motivating her daughter to come out of her comfort zone.

“I do not mind the time or distance of her workplace as at the end of the day, it is important for Akari to be meaningfully occupied & learn to be fully independent.” ~ Ms Yoko Inoue, Akari’s mom

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SUPPORTING A MINDS CLIENT ON-THE-JOB ~ GUIDING AKARI ~

• Text by: Mr Jason Sim, Job Placement Executive • Photos by: JPJS •

Since January 2010, through our JPJS (Job Placement / Job Support) Programme, 59 individuals, including Akari, were matched to suitable jobs and placed in open employment. The objective of the JPJS Programme which is to promote the employment and retention of persons with intellectual disability in the open job market, can be evidently seen by the majority of these 59 individuals who have sustained their jobs to-date through our strong job support service. Many of these individuals have been (and are still) with their employers for over a year!

When Akari was referred to our JPJS Programme, a Team of Professionals consisting of a Job Placement Executive, an Occupational Therapist and a Psychologist identified her key strengths, skills and job interests through a series of assessments and interviews to ensure that the right job match is made for her. By recognising Akari’s strong Food & Beverage (F&B) training experience and her keen interest to serve customers, the JPJS Team was able to scout for the appropriate job opportunity and recommended an F&B service-related job at Laksania which would give ample opportunities for Akari to greet, serve and interact with people.

The JPJS Team then arranged a Job Trial for Akari to try out and have a feel of the actual job at Laksania before taking up the job. During the Job Trial and over the course of her employment with Laksania, the Job Placement Executive and Occupational Therapist analysed her job tasks and taught her improvisations to help Akari improve the speed and quality of her work. Though Akari was initially passive and uncertain of herself, through intensive support, she gradually grew more confident and was able to perform well during the Job Trial. Upon indicating her interest in taking up the job, the Job Placement Executive then negotiated employment terms and conditions with Laksania concerning Akari’s working hours,

before confirming her employment.

Throughout Akari’s first three days at work, the Job Placement Officer supported her intensively on-the-job, providing her job coaching and counselling to help her adapt and settle down quickly. The Job Placement Officer continued to provide active support for Akari by visiting her weekly for the next two months to review, follow-up & resolve any work performance issues and help her build a positive relationship with her co-workers and superiors. The Job Placement Officer continues to work closely with Akari’s superiors and her mother by constantly garnering feedback as well as to resolve and provide interventions or solutions to any issues.

Through our intensive support, Akari’s work endurance, productivity, speed, punctuality and social interaction has considerably improved over the months. The Job Placement Officer worked to build a positive impression of Akari to her superiors who commended on how she has significantly improved since her first day of work. The Job Placement Officer was also attentive to Akari’s health and well-being, immediately working with her mom on a skin peeling habit that Akari had recently started again before it worsened. The Job Placement Officer also plays mentor to Akari; giving her sound advice and listening her thoughts and concerns on the job. The officer also helps her manage her emotionally and provides support to transit her into the next phase of working life.

At present, Akari has reached her eight month of employment with Laksania and can be seen cheerfully greeting everyone with a great big smile! She takes great pride in her work, serving customers with much enthusiasm and developing as a mentor to her new co-workers!

From left: Akari’s Job Placement Officer (Jason Sim); Supervisor (Nancy), Manager (Su Yin) & Mom (Ms Yoko Inoue)

If you are keen to refer your

adult child with intellectual

disability or for more

information on the JPJS

Programme,

you may contact:

Jason Sim,

Job Placement Executive at

jasonsim.hq@minds.org.sg

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ONE PROUD MOMENT

• Text & Photo by: Ms Reena Aariyapillai Rajagopal, Occupational Therapist •

WEDC trainee Ang Poh Hua (middle) is now a clinical assistant to dentist, Dr Wilson Goh (extreme right)

WEDC Occupational Therapist Mdm Reena Aariyapillai Rajagopal and Centre Job Placement Officer, Mr Lee Yong Ho visited Ms Ang Poh Hua, a MINDS WEDC client currently on Open Employment at GPA Dentistry. She is currently working as a full time, Clinical Assistant.

Poh Hua shared with us that she enjoys working at GPA dentistry and her employers and colleagues have been very supportive of her journey into Open Employment.

She added that she is still active with Special Olympics Singapore since her schooling days and is still taking part in their sports training and other activities during her free time. It was through their assistance that she was able to get this job after her previous company Motorola moved their manufacturing plant elsewhere. She is currently drawing a monthly salary of $1,200.

I am personally very proud of Poh Hua and her achievements. This has propelled me to work even harder for our clients. Her employer Dr Wilson Goh; who is a Dentist and her Human Resource Manager Ms Eva Fernandez were also present together with Poh Hua during the discussion.

When we asked about Poh Hua’s work performance, Dr Goh shared that he is very fortunate to employ her and he also thanked our organization for the support we have been giving. He said that initially, Poh Hua started her career as a cleaner in the Dentistry and because of her consistent work performance; she was promoted to a full-fledged clinical

assistant. He was very proud when he recounted an incident where Poh Heng assisted him in a surgical implantation and found her to be a wonderful person and co-worker. He stated that she was able to hand over the correct surgical instruments when asked and is surprised and happy that she has picked up skills taught to her so efficiently. He added that she is very sincere in her work and she is able to do her routine tasks with ease. However, he learned that she would require assistance if there is change in her work routine and especially when new tasks are introduced.

According to Dr.Goh, Poh Hua has a lot of initiative, is a fast learner and always punctual at work. He added that she works well with her other colleagues and he feels that it has been a good experience for the other staff as well. He feels that she is enthusiastic and easy-going person to work with. With all the above qualities mentioned, Dr Goh expressed that she is a model employee. He added that Poh Hua contributed tremendously to their company. He also expressed that he is willing to provide further work opportunities for MINDS clients.

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our CEO Mr Keh Eng Song turned up to cheer the athletes. Other than the excitement and the anxiety from watching the “Spiderboys” and “Spidergirls” ascend quickly up the four storey high wall, everyone had a fun time getting to know new friends, bonding over food and taking pictures for memory.

Mr Thiruselvam of Towner Gardens School (TGS) felt that through the competition, students are given the opportunity to prove themselves. He said, “Most of our students suitable for rock climbing are already engaged in other activities, so we had to choose and train others who are free but fit. They did us proud as the four climbers won a medal each.”

When approached to reflect on the event, Ms Noor Adilah said, “I am really impressed by the enthusiasm and performance of the participants. Once they started up the wall, they did not give up until they reached the top. This is character development and I think more of such events should be organized. They are really opportunities for our students to learn our core values S.M.I.L.E. I look forward to other similar events organized by each of the MINDS schools.”

When approached to reflect on the event, Ms Noor Adilah said, “I am really impressed by the enthusiasm and performance of the participants. Once they started up the wall, they did not give up until they reached the top. This is character development and I think more of such events should be organized. They are really opportunities for our students to learn our core values S.M.I.L.E. I look forward to other similar events organized by each of the MINDS schools.”

SPIDERMAN ARRIVES AT MINDS

• Text & photos by: LGS •

A two year old dream of a group of sports coaches in Lee Kong Chian Gardens School (LGS) became a reality on 5 September 2011, the first day of the September school holidays. 20 students chosen from the four MINDS schools had the opportunity to showcase, bond and compete as a team in the inaugural Rock Climbing Competition.

Miss Noor Adilah who initiated the activity under the Sports Education Programme in LGS two years ago, observed that most of the physically fit students also possess the ability to persevere and felt that they could excel in Rock Climbing. After successfully implementing the activity in the school and getting to know that the programme was also in place in the other MINDS schools, she and team discussed the possibility of an Inter-MINDS school competition.

The first Inter-MINDS school competition was jointly organized by Climb Asia and LGS. The participants competed in the individual junior, individual senior and a group event. About 30 family members, school staff and

FGS climber scaling the formidable wall

RESULTS:

Fear is not an option!

EVENTPLACING

RECORD1ST 2ND 3RD

Individual ( Junior )

Halijah Bte Borhannudin

( FGS )

Jordon Ong ( LGS )

Danial Addandy ( TGS )

30s

Individual ( Senior )

Syed Amin ( TGS )

Lim Zong Qing ( LGS )

Muhd Shafiq Abdullah ( FGS )

38s

Group FGS TGS LGS 2m 32s

Proud of our lightning-fast “Spidergirls” and “Spiderboys”

12

If you would like your child or siblings

with intellectual disability to learn

independent living skills and enjoy living

in the community with support from

our staff, please contact the following

personnel for more information:

Elene Liew, Social Worker, Hostel / Group

Home at email: eleneliew.mv@minds.org.

sg, tel: 6387-7662 ext. 240.

Ling Chong Beng, Head, Hostel / Group

Home at email: lingchongbeng.mv@

minds.org.sg, tel: 63877662 ext 207.

We look forward to working with you to

enhance your child or sibling’s skills in

community living.

A LOOK INTO COMMUNITY GROUP HOME

• Text & photos by: Mr Ling Chong Beng, Head of MV Group Home & Hostel •

MINDS had set-up two Community Group Home units located in the east on 10 May 2010 with the following objectives:

• to train residents to live with minimum support in the community

• to enhance a resident’s quality of life through social inclusion and provision of choices

• to allow residents with potential to live with minimum support in the community

Our model for the Community Group Home emphasized in the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Enabling Master Plan 2007 to 2011, can also supplement the Trusteeship Scheme managed by Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC) in providing the care component to low support need persons with intellectual disability.

The three male and three female residents who participated in this project expressed much happiness and joy after successfully moving into the two 4-rooms HDB flat units. With the new environment, the residents have also learned and appreciated the need to help each other and are also more willing to learn new tasks required for independent living. To date, they have been able to enjoy full independent living where they exercise their own choices in deciding how to decorate their own home and how they should spend their time with family and friends at their own premises. They are able to experience and enjoy the freedom of choice, which many people with intellectual disability are not able to do.

After the move into their new home, the residents have participated in many community and grassroots activities and have even helped the Residents’ Committee in many occasions where they have been treated as normal members of the community. They are also making use of community facilities like the library and cinema for their own recreation. We are delighted that our residents are not only being successfully placed in the community but are also now part of the community.

We currently still have three male and three female vacancies in the two units Community Group Home units.

A homey living room for the residents

Learning to cook independently

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HEALTHY LIFesTYLe @ SMEDC

• Text & photos by: Ms Cheryl Lee, Social Worker & Ms Prabha Ramakrishnan, Occupational Therapist •

Early 2009, the first Physical Fitness Group was started with the aim to help eight high-priority trainees lose some pounds and also give them an opportunity to exercise regularly. For some trainees who have minimum exposure to exercise and physical activities once they return home, they tend to put on weight at a faster rate. This group session also gave rise to more interaction opportunity to mingle with their peers, which made the session more meaningful

Initially, the three-times-a-week fitness group seemed like another work activity for the trainees. When the move to introduce other various activities (apart from walking on the treadmill and cycling), such as visiting community parks and playing ball games took place, the trainees became more involved and excited. Walking around the community park further motivated some of them to do the same in their own neighbourhood park. Pleasantly surprised, they all looked forward to these group sessions and would make bookings with the therapist two days ahead of their scheduled sessions!

Apart from exercises, trainees were also educated on acquiring a healthy and balanced diet through picture cards and group interaction games, for which they were more than willing to participate. Witnessing this enthusiasm, the Physical Fitness Group has now expanded to benefit more members.

On 12 September 2011, 100 trainees, including those in the Physical Fitness

Cycling is fun and exciting!

Ms Prabha giving instructions to her gym trainees

Group, attended Mr Bottle’s Magic Show on Nutrition, kindly sponsored by the Health Promotion Board (HPB). Rainbow coloured balloons and handkerchiefs that were pulled out of the magician’s top hat reminded them that a healthy diet could be maintained by regular consumption of fruits and vegetables that marked the colours of the rainbow. A competition on “who had the quickest reaction” showed the trainees different kinds of exercises they could do for at least 150 minutes per week, such as skipping, jogging, and swimming. Lessons on eating right and importance of exercise were ingeniously incorporated into different tricks and mini competitions which built more excitement amongst trainees. Towards the end of the show, we were all reminded on eating two servings each of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.

Within the Physical Fitness Group, a decrease in trainees BMI was recorded, and a positive feedback on their productivity was derived from their training officers. Trainees were overjoyed at seeing themselves lose weight. Needless to say, these results boosted their self-esteem. It was also heart-warming to see them make new friends throughout the duration of the programme.

“I am happy to enjoy the company of friends and get to know more friends” – Eileen & Yin choo.

“I enjoy playing games” – Zhen Zhen

RecommendationsIt would definitely make a positive difference if adults with intellectual disability and their caregivers receive appropriate ongoing education regarding healthy living in areas such as nutrition, exercise, and oral hygiene and recognise the need to implement activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Consider doing the following at home:

1. Walk/cycle to the nearest park, making use of the exercise equipment in the neighbourhood.

2. Participate in swimming classes, as a group and/or together with family members.

3. Engage your child/ward to help out with household chores such as mopping, sweeping and washing the dishes. This will help your child/ward to be on the move, rather than being hooked to the television or computer.

4. Encourage your child/ward to engage in play time with siblings or friends, through activities such as soccer or badminton.

All these activities not only help your child to lose calories, but it encourages your child to be more independent, and also to spend more quality time with others and family members.

However, there are also some things to take note of:

1. Get advice from your physician before you put your child through any kind of strenuous activities. Always watch out for warning signs such as difficulty in breathing and fatigue. When your child displays these signs and symptoms, stop the activity immediately and give them some time to relax before continuing with the activity.

2. Ensure the safety of your child/ward at all times when doing any kind of physical activity. This includes making sure the physical environment is safe.

3. Always do warm up and cool down exercises before and after any physical activity.

14

WEDC MINDS FOOD AWARDED FOOD TUCKSHOP LICENSE

• Text & Photos by: Ms Aveline Cheong Mei Yee, Senior Training Officer •

We are now certified!

Woodlands Employment EDC (WEDC) MINDS Food was finally awarded its Food Shop license on 13 May 2011.

The direction provided by MINDS Management was not only to get required and relevant certifications for our trainees but also, to enhance our trainees’ service marketability in the relevant industries.

Moving towards the license approval, the greatest challenge was to certify all the trainees in the unit who are handling food. Daily, our trainees are also involved in the food preparation and food serving processes which require them to attend and pass the WSQ Basic Food Hygiene Course slated by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

This is in accordance to NEA’s guidelines for all food shop operators. There was also an additional condition that one staff from the Centre be trained as a Food Hygiene Officer within the next three months of getting the Food Shop license.

A portion of the assessment into being certified is theory-based. Knowing that our trainees will require adaptation to understand and learn the required information, the WEDC staff went out to source for training organizations that are able to do modified assessments for the trainees. With the assistance of SIA MINDS Employment Development Centre (SMEDC), we managed to identify an organization which was willing to make those modifications to the assessment portion for our trainees, without compromising the essentialities of the course content.

We scheduled our Training Officers and Cooks to go for the course prior to sending our trainees. This strategy proved useful as Training Officers were able to bring back the vital information and conduct training sessions to prepare the

trainees. It took a challenging two months to prepare them in both the modified theory and practical portions. Several mock assessments were also done, replicating the actual day assessments which were carried out on a weekly basis.

During the course, the instructor who had prior experience in working with our trainees, presented and taught using simpler instruction. He also used role-play to facilitate the learning process. He gave good feedback about our trainees’ ability to understand what was being taught. It was then that we shared with him the strategy we adopted to help our trainees. He added that the efforts made to prepare our trainees before the course commenced was crucial and integral. His thoughts were confirmed when our trainees passed their final assessment.

The first batch of clients attained their certification on 27 November 2010. The second batch attained theirs on 8 January 2011. A total of 25 clients have attained the Basic Food Hygiene certification.

On 28 July 2011, in compliance with the NEA license condition, Senior Training Officer Aveline Cheong, completed her Conduct Food and Beverage Hygiene Audit course with At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy. She will be assisting to supervise and audit food handling processes in MINDS WEDC.

On 8 August 2011, after two rounds of stringent inspections by NEA inspectors during the 3 months wait, WEDC MINDS Food received an ‘A’ grading for the Food Shop license! Well done everyone!

15

so proud of our athletes!

SPECIAL OLYMPICS 2011

The Special Olympics World Summer Games 2011 was held from 25 June to 4 July 2011 in Athens, Greece. Altogether, 7500 Special Olympics athletes from 185 countries participated in 22 Olympic-type sporting categories. Amongst the 46 Singaporean athletes selected to compete across seven sporting categories (Aquatics, Athletics, Bowling, Bocce, Badminton, Basketball and Soccer) were Teo Meng Hiang and Nadhrah Binte Daud from MINDS Woodlands Gardens School (WGS)

Meng Hiang competed in the events 800m, 1500m and 4 x 400m relay in Athletics. He bags a Bronze medal for his 800m and 2 ribbons, 4th and 5th positions for the 1500m and 4 x 400m relay respectively. Nadhrah competed

Meng Hiang celebrating his win!

• Text & photos by: WGS •

Nadhrah is also beaming with joy!

TGS OVERSEAS LEARNING JOURNEY TO MALAYSIA

• Text by: Ms Agnes Sim, Teacher • Photos by: Ms Rahimah Sakaryoh, Teacher •

All smiles at the pineapple plantation. Rubber tapping is hard work! Three cheers for Malacca!

27 students and ten staff from Towner Gardens School (TGS) embarked on a learning journey to Malaysia on 1 July 2011. The aim of the three-day visit to Johor and Malacca was to create an awareness of the different cultures, encourage socialisation among the students and provide opportunities for them to generalise specific skills acquired in the classroom to a different environment.

During the trip, the students had hands-on experience in rubber tapping; exposure to harvesting oil palm fruit and palm sugar (gula Melaka) production; and learning how pineapples are grown. They also played traditional games such as gasing, chongkak and sepak takraw with the villagers. Other activities included a scenic cruise along the Malacca River; visiting different places of worship; shopping at the famous Jonker Street; and a city tour to see the ruins of St. Paul’s Church.

There was also a customised workshop for the students specially conducted by TGS Vice-Principal Ms Loke and one of the teachers Mrs Gill. During the workshop, the students learnt about establishing good work attitudes and played team-building games.

Truly, this trip has been an authentic learning journey from the classroom into the world beyond our local shores!

in the Singles, Doubles and Team event for Bowling. She has also obtained commendable results of a Silver medal for the Singles, 4th and 5th positions for the Doubles and Team events.

Leading up to the Games, Meng Hiang and Nadhrah trained rigourously; averaging at least two times a week in preparation for the competition. Their hard work, commitment and excellent attitude yielded worthy results. They have shown the world that they can achieve sporting excellence and be the best that they can be. They have truly embraced the Special Olympics Oath “Let me win, but if I cannot win, Let me be brave in the attempt.” Congratulations to Meng Hiang and Nadhrah! We are proud of you!

16

GLITZ AND GLAMOUR WITH THE MISS WORLD CONTESTANTS

• Text by: Mr Muhd Naharendie, Senior Teacher • Photos by: WGS •

WGS pupils bringing smiles to the audience and the beauty queens

What a wonderful opportunity to partner with these lovely ladies

We are cut out for pageant too!

Under the collaboration of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS); CSS and Limelite Production Pte Ltd, Woodlands Gardens School was selected to participate in Miss World Singapore 2011 pageant. An aspect of the competition to fulfil the criterion, “Beauty with a Purpose”, thus pupils from WGS were invited to take part in the celebration.

As a follow-up from their previous visit to the school on 8 September, 21 pupils and five teachers were invited to participate in the Miss World 2011 Coronation Night held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The selected pupils appeared on stage alongside contestants during the evening gown session. It was a moment of brilliance for our pupils to be involved in such a

prestigious event in Singapore in the presence of Miss Julia Morley, Chairman of the Miss World Organisation.

Prior to the pageant, as the criteria required for the beauty queens was charity work, the 20 contestants brought on a tour around WGS to explain the school’s programme and facilities. The contestants were given the opportunity to interact with the pupils during their volunteering visits to the school. They also performed two items during the assembly time.

The contestants were also given hands-on experience working with a group of pupils from the Senior level on craft projects. All in all, the pupils really enjoyed the experience.

GOAL! ~SOCCER CLINIC ORGANISED BY YMCA AT ITE COLLEGE WEST

• Text by: Mr Shah Rizan Bin Ramlee, Assistant Training Officer • Photos by: CTDC •

Sports such as soccer, badminton, athletics, swimming are very important activities for a healthy and balanced lifestyle. These sports are well liked by our trainees in Clementi Training & Development Centre (CTDC) as they understand the need to maintain active and healthy lifestyle.

Together with YMCA, a group of ITE students organized a soccer clinic for CTDC clients, which was held at ITE College West (Choa Chu Kang) on 20 May 2011. A total of 18 trainees were selected to participate in this clinic, accompanied by two Training Officers, Mr Shah Rizan and Mr Rasyidi.

Volunteers and trainees getting know one another

A total of about 40 volunteers participated to assist our CTDC trainees; the entire entourage was led by Mr Victor Poh, Assistant Manager for Community Service, YMCA Singapore. The volunteers came from various backgrounds and included students, lecturers and fitness trainers.

Our trainees and volunteers were divided into two groups and they started off with mass warm up exercises. As the soccer clinic was held in an indoor sports hall, it was not so humid and rather cooling.

The two groups that we split into two had enjoyed two different games; one was soccer and another was Captain’s Ball. As the volunteers were very sporting and actively engaged with the trainees, strong bonds of interaction and affinity were formed. You could hear peals of laughter throughout the hall, followed by cheers and claps when the trainees scored their goals.

Big kudos to ITE College West and YMCA volunteers for organizing such a meaningful event and we hope that there will be more of such events in the future. As this is one of the rarer sporting activities the centre had, it was clear that our trainees benefitted from it. You could literally see the expression of joy in each of their faces!

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A SPECIAL FRIEND INDEED~ A GLIMPSE INTO THE SOCIAL LIVES OF PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

ON OUR COVERPAGE AND REAR PAGE

• Text by: Mr Selvadurai Joshua, Occupational Therapist • Photos by: IEDC •

It puzzled our staff to observe this client’s behaviour.

Ms MSK, a trainee at Idea Employment Development Centre (IEPC), had been known to have problems walking due to weight issues. Her vocational duties were subsequently relocated from the third storey classroom to the first storey and that alleviated the inconvenience of having to climb arduous flights of stairs at the workshop. Gradually however, she refused to walk and sought attention from staff to hold her hand whilst travelling to classrooms and toilets. She also began to insist on sitting on the floor. When assessed, the health professionals reported that she was not regressing and that her mobility skills were sufficient for independence. This unusual behaviour continued for more than two weeks and though it eventually stopped, the staff were not able to locate what triggered this temporal behaviour alteration.

Following that incident, another client, Ms AFV, came back to visit our centre. She had been diagnosed with Leukaemia and could not continue working at Idea Employment Development Centre (IEDC) as she underwent chemotherapy treatment. Upon her return, Ms AFV looked drastically different; she had grown thin and lost a lot of hair due to her treatments. However, on that very day, she insisted that her parents bring her to visit the centre. Despite having balance and mobility issues, Ms MSK dashed towards Ms AFV the minute she saw her. Ms MSK hugged her tightly, eyes filled with tears of joy at seeing Ms AFV again. After that, for the entire time that Ms AFV was at the centre, Ms MSK ensured that she sat beside her. Ms MSK spoke kindly to her and introduced Ms AFV as her best friend to everyone at the centre. In fact, Ms MSK chose to stay with Ms AFV instead of heading down for lunch at the cafeteria with everyone else. She only ate her lunch after Ms AFV departed. However, just before Ms AFV left the premises, Ms MSK shouted, “I Love you Ms AFV”, “Get well soon” and “Come back soon”. It was certainly an emotional experience for the staff as we observed the love and friendship between these two ladies.

Undoubtedly, there was a deep level of connection between them both.

This incident brought understanding to the peculiar episode regarding Ms MSK’s behavioural change. Two weeks earlier, Ms AFV was diagnosed with leukaemia and stopped coming to the centre when treatment began. Indeed, Ms MSK was shocked to know that her friend had a life-threatening disease that impeded her quality of life. Without her friend, Ms MSK felt lonely and uncomfortable. As we dug deeper into the story of their connection, we eventually discovered that Ms MSK and Ms AFV were in the same sheltered workshop unit for many years and befriended one another. As both of them had balance and mobility issues, they were subsequently transferred to the first storey classroom. During this course of time, both ladies started depending heavily on each other to get around; supporting one another when walking to the cafeteria and washrooms. They understood one another, bore one another’s burdens and invested in a best-friendship that was as true or if not truer, than any average person’s.

Not knowing how to cope with the void of Ms AFV’s sudden departure from the workshop and the emotional stress that followed suit, we concluded that Ms MSK communicated her feelings through atypical behavioural expressions.

We (caregivers, siblings, teachers and health professionals etc.) care about a variety of factors regarding the lives of persons with intellectual disability. This is so, especially in areas concerning their physical, financial and psychological wellbeing. Quite often however, we tend to ignore the importance of their social lives. We have to remember that they too, place importance on social interactivity, relationships and friendships though they might not know how to express it in the usual way. Let us take time to consider their social wellbeing as well; to respect their emotions and feelings when it comes to relationships.

About our Artist

“Liu Sze Sze is a 34 year old artistic client in Woodlands Employment Development Centre (WEDC). Sze Sze has cerebral palsy and complex perceptual-motor skills. However, she has never seen these limitations as drawbacks to her unwavering love for craft work. She has developed and created unique art pieces by herself including designs using Hama beads. Sze Sze is very talented and engages herself in a wide range of craft products in WEDC, ranging from from notebook covers to hair accessories. She has high expectations of herself and in the quality of the work she does. Thus, her completed

works are always tip top! ”

WEDC MINDS Craft was officially started in May 2011. Signature items created by the unit include a wide range of

handmade, eco-friendly stationery products

About MINDS

MINDS stands for Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. MINDS started with a single classroom of 26 children back in 1962. 49 years later, MINDS has grown to be one of the oldest and biggest VWOs in Singapore. MINDS’ services include four special education schools, three sheltered workshops, three day activity centres and a multi-service residential facility catering to persons with moderate to severe intellectual disability. MINDS serves about 2,400 clients in the 11 facilities located island-wide. MINDS has received strong support from various funding bodies, the community, corporations and individuals. It is our vision to grow and become a world-class VWO that advances the development, well-being and aspirations of persons with intellectual disability and their integration back into society.