“Children with ASD who are not talking by 4, are unlikely to ever do so.” This advice was commonly heard when I was a student. Sadly, this distressing piece of information had caused many families to give up on their hopes that their child will ever talk. However, giving up Read more…
GETTING AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS Do you suspect autism or anything amiss about the development of your child? If so, speak to a paediatrician at any of the polyclinics in Singapore. The paediatrician will then make a referral for an assessment at the Child Development Unit (CDU) at KKH, SGH or NUH. Read more…
What is joint attention? Joint attention is the ability to focus on the same thing (object, person, event) with another person. This means that three parties are involved in joint attention, the child, the object of focus and another person. Therefore in order for joint attention to happen, the child Read more…
“Say ‘cookie’. Cu..cu..cookie!” If you are a parent, you probably have taught your child to say a word using this method. Even though requesting is a powerful way to teach your child to talk, it can also be a way to frustrate your child beyond his limit if not done Read more…
Is your child unable to follow instructions? Does he not respond to his name? Is he unable to point to familiar people, objects and body parts when asked “Where’s the ____?” If your child is more than 18 months, and your answer is yes to any of the above questions, Read more…
You are doing everything you can to get eye contact from your child. You put your face right in front of his little face. You wave and clap. But when he finally glances up, he seems to look right through you. Sounds familiar? Why Eye Contact is Difficult Children on Read more…
Are you worried about your late-talking toddler? Are you getting more and more anxious as you watch younger children talk up a storm while your child is still not talking? You are not alone. In Singapore, speech delay is one of the main reasons parents seek speech therapy for their Read more…
An article on Straits Times reported that one in 150 children in Singapore has autism. Likewise, speech therapists around the world are seeing an increase in ASD caseloads. According to Autismspeak, children with autism are often characterised by deficits in social skills including an inconsistent response to their names, lack of Read more…