[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/down-syndrome-programme-helps-their-students-pass-psle\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/down-syndrome-programme-helps-their-students-pass-psle\/","headline":"Down syndrome programme helps their students pass PSLE","name":"Down syndrome programme helps their students pass PSLE","description":"Vanessa Teo, 12, graduated from St. Anthony\u2019s Primary School with straight Bs for her Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 2021. She qualified for normal technical secondary education \u2014 a momentous milestone for her family and teachers alike.\u00a0 Vanessa has Down syndrome. This feat would likely have been far from reach if it wasn\u2019t for […]","datePublished":"2022-03-11","dateModified":"2022-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/rachel-teng\/#Person","name":"Rachel Teng","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/rachel-teng\/","identifier":367,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rachel_Teng-100x100.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rachel_Teng-100x100.jpg","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/S3-Feature-1920-x-1080-px-V1-33-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/S3-Feature-1920-x-1080-px-V1-33-1.jpg","height":900,"width":1600},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/down-syndrome-programme-helps-their-students-pass-psle\/","commentCount":"6","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/down-syndrome-programme-helps-their-students-pass-psle\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-08-16 11:36:03","description":"Thank you for your sharing. 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Dr Lim embarked on a two-year research, exploring the possibility of including children with Down syndrome in Singapore\u2019s mainstream public education system.\u00a0Having four key programmes that span across an individual\u2019s three life stages, the Integration Facilitation Support Programme (IFSP) was started in 2009. It is designed to support students like Vanessa in mainstream Early Childhood Development Centres and primary schools.\u00a0Even with support, it has not always been a smooth-winding road for Vanessa and her family.\u00a0Mrs Vivienne Teo, a mother of four, knew the risks that came with a late pregnancy at age 46 when she had Vanessa. During her first trimester, the ultrasound scan showed a Nuchal fold, which was an indication of a possible congenital condition.\u00a0It did not matter to Mrs Teo, who would not have aborted the pregnancy because of religious reasons. \u201cIt was a shock, but we lived day to day, and asked for a little bit of comfort here and there. DSA helped us a lot along the way,\u201d she says.\u00a0Among other early intervention programmes, the association\u2019s ISFP program was particularly helpful in ensuring Vanessa\u2019s smooth transition into primary school \u2014 both academically and socially, Mrs Teo says.\u00a0The Ministry of Education (MOE) registered special education teachers under the programme offer one-to-one support under an intervention model \u2014 one hour in class alongside their peers, and one hour during their free period. With a monthly fee of $150, the programme remains financially viable for most families.\u00a0Working closely with classroom teachers and parents, ISFP teachers keep parents in the loop about their children\u2019s progress and inclinations regularly, and may even accompany students on organised field trips.\u00a0For Vanessa, the programme supported her from the preschool level all the way up till Primary 6. She opted for foundation mathematics at primary 5, and took foundation English, Maths, and Science for the final exam.\u00a0Her mother gauges her standard to be the equivalent of a primary 4 normal pupil. \u201cAt primary 1 and 2, she couldn\u2019t add or subtract and we were ready to take her out of mainstream education,\u201d says Mrs Teo.\u00a0The social side of school life presented struggles as well. \u201cSometimes, she would be a bit stronger with her movements, and some of her peers would mistake it as a sign of aggression,\u201d she adds, citing an incident when Vanessa was playfully demonstrating a kick and accidentally hitting one of her classmates, resulting in a complaint from the girl\u2019s parents.\u00a0Thankfully, she says, Vanessa’s teachers understood that she didn\u2019t know how to express herself or control her strength at times.\u00a0This is where ISFP teachers are essential in playing the role of coach, nurturing their students\u2019 \u201centire being, rather than just the mind\u201d, holistically cultivating the skills needed for them to better integrate into society, Mrs Teo says.\u00a0Vanessa with her IFSP teacher, Siti A. (Photo courtesy of Vivienne Teo)Having an affable disposition, Vanessa adopts a \u201chappy-go-lucky\u201d attitude when it comes to making friends. She would go up to ask her peers, \u201cmay I join you?\u201d, and when the answer initially used to be \u201cno\u201d, she would wander off and be content with her own company.\u00a0As time wore on, she adjusted smoothly. \u201cSomehow or other, things just clicked when she was in primary 3. Multiplication was her forte, and division followed easily,\u201d says Mrs Teo.\u00a0Her peers also started to see her for her sunny personality. Regardless, Mrs Teo says that \u201cspecial needs children will always be on the fringe\u201d, especially as their peers mature in age and develop different interests as the years pass.\u00a0Vanessa, who clearly has a creative streak, enjoys arts and crafts because it allows her to use her imagination. English is her favourite subject as she indulges in \u201creading stories and writing letters\u201d during her lessons.\u00a0When asked what she would like to be when she grows up, Vanessa resoundingly says, \u201ca singer or an artist\u201d, and proceeds to showcase her extensive collection of records and multi-coloured food caricatures.Mrs Teo, however, has a much humbler goal for her daughter. \u201cI just hope that when [my husband and I] are out of the picture, that she can hold a job and be independent, and not have to be looked after too much by her siblings,\u201d she says.\u00a0Vanessa with her siblings. (Photo courtesy of Vivienne Teo)Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Down syndrome programme helps their students pass PSLE","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/down-syndrome-programme-helps-their-students-pass-psle\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]