Tony was my student at an early intervention center for children with special needs. After 3 terms, Tony was ready to be included into a mainstream preschool. Tony is diagnosed with autism, is very intelligent but has severe tantrums when he doesn’t get his way. He started going to preschool in the morning and came to the early intervention center in the afternoon. After starting preschool, Tony seemed unsettled and his tantrums had taken a turn for the worse. This went on for three weeks. When I asked the parents how he was doing at preschool, the parents said that his class teacher claimed he was doing well. I then decided to visit Tony’s preschool to observe him in his new setting. In the

All Hands Together teacher, Vani, shares interactive projects to keep little hands busy over the school holidays.

Brought up with a passion to help, I wanted to continue when I moved to Singapore. I love teaching children and I could not overlook the number of special needs children needing care and attention here. I decided to volunteer in a special needs school and wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Travelling the lengths and breadths of the country to teach children encouraged me to take this as my profession and thus my stint as a special needs teacher began. When we go and teach special need kids especially teens and young adults, we act as a bond and a communicator between the children and their stressed out parents with so many questions and insecurities. Social workers sometimes act