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SEPT 1, 2004Happy Teachers' Day, especially to these special people
I WOULD like to thank a wonderful teacher for making so much difference to the life of a child diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The kind PAP kindergarten teacher was not put off by my child's condition. Instead, she asked for more information to help her understand ASD and volunteered to take him in, even though teaching an ASD child requires special knowledge and skills.
The teacher went out of her way to prepare herself to teach my child by reading up on ASD. She had the foresight to prepare my child's entry into the kindergarten by getting the support of the other teachers and also by orientating my child's classmates about his condition. My child's classmates did not despise him but instead accepted him fully!
What the teacher had done was simply amazing. She had created a win-win situation - for my son, a conducive learning environment; for his classmates, caring, sharing and responsibility, and for the teachers, a learning experience.
The result was that a child who, not too long ago, used to be afraid of going to school is now enjoying it.
Thank you, Miss Koh, for being an extraordinary teacher. And Happy Teachers' Day.
RAFFEE SALLEH
WE WOULD like to wish an often-overlooked group of people a very Happy Teachers' Day. Who are they? They are teachers and staff, both past and present, from the various special schools - Rainbow Centre, Minds, APSN and Asian Women's Welfare Association, among others.
Thank you for your dedication, creativity and sensitivity as you help our children grow and develop to their full potential.
BERNADETTE CARROLL (MRS)
Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

posted by Marcus Ang @ 10:47 AM