Update on meeting with the Disability Division of MSF and meet us at SCAPE's "Share it! Community Service Weekend"

Dear everyone:

As I had mentioned in my last email, one of the interesting developments for “A Mother’s Wish Campaign” (AMW) — to promote affordable quality programmes for youths and adults with moderate to severe autism — was the dialogue that has commenced with the Disability Division of the Ministry of Social and Family Services (MSF).

1. My dialogue with MSF

In engaging the government in a dialogue about AMW, I am addressing a fundamental flaw in its approach towards organisations that provide programmes for the less fortunate, including individuals with special needs. Essentially, the government requires many of the smaller organisations to be self-sustainable after three years, by which time all grants of any kind would no longer be provided.

Such as a system clearly has NOT worked, as it has led to the following adverse outcomes: a) inadequate services; b) emphasis of organisational survival over quality, with loss of quality solutions and wastage of grants; and c) inability to attract quality personnel due to low pay. In order for the government to genuinely do its part to promote the dignity of individuals with autism (and all end-users), it needs to recognise that service delivery in this sector is aSOCIAL SERVICE, not CHARITY.

Here were the four central and interrelated messages that I conveyed in my presentation on May 6, 2013 in my meeting with MSF:

• To champion the worth of autistic individuals;
• To confront the divisiveness of Singapore’s meritocratic mentality and the resultant stigmatisation;
• To propose alternative perspectives, resources, and options; and
• To highlight potential social crisis in the long term (due to slow rollout of services)

Thus, I am asking the government to consider providing 70% of the funding indefinitely to cater to quality programmes for youths and adults with moderate to severe autism, so as to ensure that they are affordable for the families.

To learn more, please check out the slideshow presentation that was presented at the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, I was asked to submit some figures for the costs of the programme (please check out the 24-page proposal that encompasses the current vision of AMW, which was emailed to the government on May 14). For a shorter version of the latest vision of AMW, please click here.

This division also visited at my home to learn more about my homeschooling programme as an exploration of AMW community’s concept. As the dialogue develops, I will continue to provide updates on the situation.

2. Learn more about "A Mother's Wish" at SCAPE's "Share it! Community Service weekend", July 6-7, 2-9 pm

Learn more about "A Mother's Wish" campaign at the following fair: http://www.scape.com.sg/shareit/. I will be 'manning' my interactive booth on July 6-7 (Sat & Sun) from 2–9 pm. Take part in the 'game' that will help you to understand the campaign and reflect on how you feel about people with autism. The grand prize winner stands to win one of Sebastien's paintings and 3 honorary mention winners can get a copy of my picture book, All About of the Hummingbird... Or the Horse. This book seeks to encourage children to understand and treat those who are different from the norm with compassion. 

Thank you all for your support. In the next email, there will be exciting updates on "A Mother's Wish" Fund due to the sales of paintings to family, friends, and supportive members of the public and our involvement in Channel 8's 'Joy Truck' Programme.

Best regards,

Kah Ying

8163-4509