Long wait for subsidised support pushes parents of kids with developmental needs to private sector

MSF told ST that the annual number of referrals for Eipic services has increased significantly over the past four years, consistently exceeding enrolments and resulting in longer wait times.

This is partly due to enhanced early screening and detection for children with developmental needs, it said.

Why are wait times so long? 

The longer wait times are due to several factors, said Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua, who is president of the Autism Resource Centre and chairs Autism Association (Singapore).

While the special needs sector is facing an increase in demand due to higher public awareness of autism, it is also dealing with a general shortage in trained and skilled professionals, she added. “This is both a local and global phenomenon.”

Relatively high staff turnover also results in longer wait times, she noted.

In addition, children are typically referred to Eipic centres through public hospitals or private paediatric clinics, a process that involves several steps. These include discussing one’s choice of centre with a case worker, formally applying to the centre, and having the child undergo a screening interview.

But no referral letters are needed for those enrolling as private clients, said Ms Beatrice Teo, a speech therapist and director of Eipic-P centre Headstart for Life.

Under Eipic-P, the wait time for Headstart for Life is about six to 18 months, with 11 children currently on the waitlist, she added. But if a child enrols privately, they can enter the programme immediately.

The difference is cost: At Headstart for Life, the private early intervention programme costs start from $900 a month. In contrast, the same programme under Eipic-P can cost as little as $9 a month for low-income Singaporeans.

“If you wait for a year for an Eipic placement, you are losing one year of your precious child’s developmental time, which can result in an even bigger delay as your child grows older,” said Ms Teo.

Every year makes a difference, especially for children with developmental needs.

“The first three years of life are crucial for all children, due to the rapid development of the brain during this period,” said Professor Kenneth Poon, director of the National Institute of Education’s Centre for Research in Child Development at Nanyang Technological University.

“For children with developmental needs, this phase is particularly important as the brain’s ability to change and adapt is at its highest during this period.”

Ms Weng Yiyao, lead educational therapist at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore, said that children who are struggling with literacy can benefit from intervention at a young age, even before any formal diagnosis is made.

The association’s pre-school early literacy programme helps such children improve these skills, she added, noting that pre-school years are the most critical period of a child’s development.

However, Dr Poon emphasised that any time is a good time for a child to learn.

“Parents do not need to feel like they have missed a window if early intervention does not occur within the first three years.”

Other challenges

Mr Chye said his son finally got a spot at an Eipic centre after about 1½ years, but he eventually decided against enrolling him there because it did not suit the working couple’s schedule.

“It could mean travelling one week, four or five times to inconvenient locations,” said Mr Chye, with his wife saying that would have been “a logistical nightmare”.

Mr Chye said: “That led us to finding services that are win-win, meaning parents can still contribute and work, while the child gets the best support in the most conducive environment.”

He also hopes that the Government can provide more subsidies for private vendors who can bring services to the children’s homes and schools.

Another parent, whose son has autism spectrum disorder, told ST that early intervention sessions in the public sector are not long enough.

The woman, who declined to be named, waited nearly two years for a subsidised spot for her son. She also hired a private therapist for her son, who turns seven in 2024, to supplement his time in the early intervention programme, which also allows for convenience.

“The time he spends there is obviously too short. There was not much improvement,” said the woman in her 30s, who is in sales.

However, Ms Phua noted that going to the private sector is not something every parent can do. “Parents who can afford private schools and therapy have the choice of taking that option. Not everyone has that option.

“The root solution is to grow our own timber and build a strong local pool of Sped (special education) educators and other professionals such as psychologists, speech and occupational therapists – and in the interim allow for more qualified foreign professionals to serve in Singapore.”