SINGAPORE – Twenty-year-old Lucas Ho, who has autism, dropped out of his penultimate year at Pathlight School’s vocational track in March. He had struggled to keep up with the lessons and refused to go to school.
His father, Mr Ho Tong Fatt, applied to enrol him in a day activity centre in May, but the earliest he can get a spot is in 2024 due to a long waiting list.
Meanwhile, Mr Ho, 57, keeps his son busy with crafts, painting and board game sessions at a centre for people with special needs.
The father-and-son pair are among 400 people who have benefited from three Minds Hubs in Farrer, Eunos and Bukit Batok. The first centre in Farrer was opened in November 2022.
The newest Minds Hub at Bukit Batok was officially opened on Thursday to provide programmes such as painting and cooking for people with intellectual disabilities and support for their caregivers.
Located at Bukit Batok Street 21, Minds Hub @ YMCA-Minds Bukit Batok serves as a one-stop touchpoint for people with intellectual disabilities living in the West.
Mr Ho, who works from home as a data analyst, drives his son to either the Eunos or Bukit Batok centre from their home in Pasir Ris every week.
“Lucas can socialise at the Minds Hub. He enjoys going for the activities, is less stressed and has fewer meltdowns now. I hope even after he goes to the day activity centre, he can come back here like it’s a CC (community club).”
He hopes his son can find work in a sheltered workshop eventually.
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, who was a guest of honour at the opening ceremony, said the new Minds Hub will help further promote inclusive employment.
For instance, the centre is organising “reverse job fairs” where people with intellectual disabilities can showcase their abilities and employers can come to the centre to hire them.
Minds chief executive Kelvin Koh said Minds hopes to improve accessibility to services for people with intellectual disabilities above 18, who have graduated from special education schools. He hopes to boost services for this group in the West, which is currently underserved.
This situation is known as the “post-18 cliff”, where the limited opportunities for engagement and long waiting lists at other centres mean that young people with special needs face possible social isolation and add to their caregivers’ burden.
Services at the three hubs include diagnostics and assessment, information and referral, respite and befriending services, and physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
The hubs also offer caregiver services such as support groups, short-term relief options, and future care planning guidance. Minds will open two more hubs in Pasir Ris and Punggol by the end of 2024.
Caregiver Cindy Tan, 58, said her daughter Koh Yi Le, 30, has been staying home for the past 12 years since she graduated from Minds Woodlands Gardens School.
As Ms Koh is unable to work, Madam Tan has been racking her brains to occupy her daughter with activities such as going to the market and doing exercises in the neighbourhood.
Ms Koh now enjoys painting and doing crafts at the Minds Hub, and her attention span has also improved. While she used to run off after every few bites of a meal, she can now finish her food by herself.
“When I need information, the staff at the hub help me, so I don’t feel so lost now,” added Madam Tan, who left her job as a pre-school teacher to care for her daughter when Ms Koh graduated.
Madam Tan said she is thankful for the brief respite offered by the hub. “My favourite is when they ask me to drink coffee and tea in another room,” she said.
Madam Elaine Khoo, 62, relocated from Bali to get better support for her son, Mr Isaac Joel Ogle, 26, who has autism. She is glad for the chance to meet other caregivers.
“I love that we can just come in and everybody is so accepting of other people. Even though you have one child crying, one child screaming, it is not a big deal. When we go out and Isaac throws a tantrum, everybody is looking. But here, we understand each other.”
