The Straits Times, Support groups, learning coaches: S’pore universities doing more for special needs students

Risk manager Micah Tan, 57, was worried about how his son would cope in university, especially when it comes to meeting new people. His son, Joseph, 21, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder before he turned four.

Mr Tan says: “He can be quite curt. If someone doesn’t know his condition, he or she might be taken aback by his behaviour.”

He was hoping for an environment that would be supportive and was thankful to find out that the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) has a peer support group for students with special needs.

“That stood out for us. Even a non-special needs child would have some apprehension in a new environment, all the more for someone on the spectrum. Having someone he can turn to will help in terms of getting used to the environment,” he adds.

Mr Tan is among a group of parents who are concerned about how their child with special educational needs (SEN) who is entering university will cope in the new environment.

With more awareness and earlier diagnosis, more neurodivergent undergraduates are coming forward to seek help, say the universities.

According to the Ministry of Education, there are about 7,000 students with reported SEN enrolled across the six autonomous universities, five polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education.

From 2012 to 2019, the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) had a handful of students with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia. That number has increased in the last four years.

The number of Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) students with SEN has also gradually increased over the years, largely due to the rise in its enrolment, greater societal awareness and earlier diagnoses of conditions.

To provide greater help for undergraduates with neurodivergent conditions, the six universities have expanded their support programmes in recent years.

Aside from SUSS, SUTD and SIT, the other three universities are National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU).

Academic and learning support
The universities provide academic and learning support, ranging from learning support coaches to classroom accommodations to special arrangements for examinations.

For instance, in NTU, students may receive support such as distraction-reduced venues during exams. At SMU, classroom accommodations include note-taking support and alternative participation formats.

Students can also arrange consultations with faculty, tutors and school managers before each term to customise support.

With the student’s consent, caregivers are included in planning and progress check-ins, says Ms Michelle Koay, head of Mrs Wong Kwok Leong Student Wellness Centre at SMU.

NUS has expanded its support for students with SEN, including a larger student accessibility unit, which provides support to these students.

The head of the unit, Ms Agnes Yuen, says that with a larger team, it is now able to offer students more personalised and long-term guidance.

Its programmes now include effective study skills sessions tailored to different learning profiles, and regular training workshops for faculty and instructors on inclusive teaching and learning practices.

SIT’s Assistant Provost (Students) Associate Professor Elaine Siow says its learning support coaches provide strategies to improve learning, while career coaches and accessibility officers prepare students for their work attachments under SIT’s Integrated Work Study Programme.

SIT also has academic advisers who play a dual role, guiding students academically while offering a safe space for emotional conversations. They often serve as the first point of contact for at-risk students with SEN, adds Prof Siow.

At SUTD, lecturers may provide personalised support such as extra consultations or tutorials.

An SUTD student who gets extra time during exam is third-year computer science and design student, Mr Lim Han Yang, 24, who was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia when he was young.

While he has learnt to cope better now, he still finds it challenging to stay focused for the duration of a lecture.

“It’s hard for me to sit still; it’s easy to drift away.

Sometimes, I have to step out of class. But my lecturers are understanding if I ask them later on. Recorded lectures also help,” says Mr Lim. He is the chief technology officer of Glance.sg, a website he co-founded which connects companies to freelancers.

SUTD has informed all his lecturers about his condition, and they have made accommodations, for instance, extending the deadline or allowing him to resubmit a part of an assignment he forgot to include.

SUSS says it shares resources such as guides, workshops and tools focused on study skills, time management and other areas beneficial to neurodivergent students. “We aim to empower students with the knowledge and strategies they need to succeed both inside and outside the classroom,” says its spokesman.

Social and emotional support from peers and experts
The universities tap student leaders to provide support to their friends with special needs, running peer support programmes in various forms.

For example, SUSS has its Special Education & Accessible Learning Supporters, or Seals for short.

Students with diverse needs are matched with a Seals buddy who can provide guidance, friendship and peer support.

First-year psychology undergraduate at SUSS, Mr Joseph Tan, 21, who has autism, says he is anxious when it comes to social situations like forming friendships. So, he was comforted to know that he will have a buddy to provide social and emotional support.

“I have concerns that people might not like me. I am also worried they might talk bad about me or reply rudely when I want to know more about them,” says Mr Tan, who previously studied at Pathlight School and Singapore Polytechnic.

“Having a buddy means I have someone whom I can go to whenever I experience difficult times. It would give me courage and enable me to meet other students and forge new friendships,” he says.

In NUS, student leaders are given training to develop activities that are inclusive. “This sense of belonging is in itself a powerful form of support,” says Ms Yuen.

Informal “neurodiversity hangouts” are also organised to provide safe spaces for students to connect with peers and build rapport.

In NTU, these students get individual coaching by a SEN specialist on matters such as executive functioning skills that enable them to plan and achieve their goals, and help with emotional regulation and campus adjustment.

Associate Professor Vivien Huan, NTU’s Associate Vice President (Wellbeing), says there are also life skills workshops on topics such as time management, resilience and self-advocacy.

Additionally, SMU runs group-based skill-building programmes for students with ADHD, focusing on helping them with executive functioning, procrastination, emotional regulation and time management.

Training programmes for staff
Beyond direct student support, the six universities also focus on staff training to help lecturers understand neurodiversity so they can foster inclusive learning environments.

For instance, all SUSS faculty members must complete an online course designed to enhance their understanding and ability to teach and support students with various types of disabilities.

There is a separate online course for students on building awareness of and understanding how to interact and support peers with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent. “The course also explores the use of respectful language and inclusion in group work and recreational activities,” says its spokesperson.

At SMU, orientation for new staff includes an overview of SEN processes and support. In addition, relevant faculty are briefed on specific student needs and inclusive teaching practices each semester.

For parents like Mr Micah Tan, knowing that there is a greater level of understanding from peers and teaching staff is reassuring.

“At least if someone with SEN behaves in a certain way that is not the norm, then they will understand that it is because they are wired differently. This would go a long way in terms of accepting people who behave differently,” he says.