My new website is up!

My new website is finally up! Do check it out for more information.  http://www.drpennytok.com

Employment of those with special needs

Very often we wonder about what our kids can do once they reach adulthood. Although they may not be able to make as much money as their typically developing peers, it does NOT mean that they are unable to contribute meaningfully to society.

Contribution to society has many benefits:

1. Increases self-esteem of those with special needs. These people are hardworking and talented all they need is a chance. They do not seek to live of government and social support they can and more importantly WANT to take care of themselves and their loved ones.

2. Awareness- there is no shame in being disabled. The more included they are in society, the more the general public learns about diversity and tolerance.

3. Change stereotype- the idea that people with disabilities cannot add to society needs to be changed. They often teach us patience, understanding, empathy and they often demonstrate courage that the rest of us can only hope to have.

While there are limited options for those with special needs, it is heartening to know that there are initiatives that are taking shape to increase these services. Here is a link about the initiative by the Ministry of Education.  Also read here for more general information plus funding options for employers. SG Enable.

There seems to be a lack of initiatives to assist those with moderate to mild disabilities  and for those with physical disabilities as the current services seem to target more blue-collar, industrial type jobs . With organisations like Pathlight (see HERE: Employability and Employment Centre) who have already spearheaded a number of work opportunities for those with autism, hopefully there will be more opportunities soon to fill the gap!

Here are some other links to places for work opportunities for those with disabilities.

BIZLINK: http://www.bizlink.org.sg/

GROW @ Cerebral Palsy Alliance http://www.spastic.org.sg/services/shelteredWorkshop.html

Society for Physically Disabled: http://www.spd.org.sg/programmes/shelter.html

Social enterprises:

National Council of Social Services: 

This NCSS site has a list of all the social enterprises listed in Singapore including information about who they are and what they do.

Talk in Singapore- 19 July (Friday) 3 – 5pm.

I will be presenting a talk hosted by Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) on:

Inner Speech – What is it and Why it is Important in Autism:
Presenting Results from the Study in Singapore and New Zealand

• Friday 19 July 2013
• 3 – 5 pm (Registration starts at 230pm)
• Address: AWWA Resource Centre, Level 3
  11 Lorong Napiri,
  Spore 547532

There will be a $5 charge (by AWWA) for refreshments. Have a look at the poster for more information.
Do come by if you are interested and there will also be a Question and Answer session at the end.

CLICK BELOW:

Inner Speech – FLYER

I would suggest you email them to register your attendance and then pay the $5 when you arrive if you do not want to send a cheque. All collections are done by AWWA and will go directly towards offsetting the cost of refreshments. Also, if you have any specific questions that you would like me to address during the talk, please send them to me at drpennytok@gmail.com.