Inspire Psychology

08/05/2022

❤💜 Happy Mother's Day💜❤

Wishing all the amazing and devoted mothers whom I had the opportunity to interact and work with, a very HAPPY MOTHER's DAY.

As a Mum, the journey has been anything but easy, from the day our child is conceived, to the D day and now...we march along, with strength and resilience, with pride and joy, and on some days, with tears and fears. We hold tight onto hope and keep going. Jia you Mummies.

MOTHERS ARE THE BEST!

Have a lovely day with your children. Meet them where they are and know the love they have for you too ❤

Sharing a simple write up by Tatler.
Thank you Tatler for the interview and opportunity to share my story.

text“All the children that I have worked with possess strengths, talents and abilities that most people do not see because of societal standards. My dream is to have a centre for these children where they can exercise their gifts in a safe and accepting environment,” said Samantha Tang

02/04/2022

2nd April marks World Autism Day. It has been 2 decades and counting, working with this pooulation. My 'babies' have grown up. For some of them who had made it to the tertiary levels, their needs have evolved and may be more masked or hidden, compared yo younger days.

Recently, I had the privilege to run a one day workshop with the staff at NTU, addressing topics around support for the neurodiverse. In preparation for the workshop, I had learnt how challenging it was to identify one with needs at this higher level, the subtle learning differences and difficulties, the preventive measures to be taken for mental health, etc.

It was an eye opener knowing how much support there is for students at NTU. There are various teams working closely and in unity to support the students of varying needs. We thrive when we have a community to growing and supporting one another.

Hope the one day workshop had helped shifted perspectives and move us closer towards an inclusive society.

21/03/2022

There has been TV show 'Wired Differently' , with the first episode on Autism, featuring 2 families.

https://www.mewatch.sg/episode/Wired-Differently-EP-1-280878

This reminds me of the lecturing series that I had just completed at NIEC -- Classroom and Behavioural Management. Kinda miss the interactions and discussions in class. Hope that the learning is transferred out of the classroom settings and into real life settings, making changes in the lives of those with neurodiverse needs.

Each one of us can play a role in inclusivity and acceptance of the individuals (and their families) with varied needs.

What happens when a child is hard to accept? Two families open up on how they cope with autism in the family. Witness the strains in family dynamics and the challenges they face.

13/03/2022

How time flies and it is the start of hols. Could be either a nightmare or a relief for parents. 🤣

Started day 1 of school hols giving a 1 hour workshop on 'managing exam stress' to a group of parents. We do wonder if the kiddos are taking the exams or if the parents are taking the exams! 😅

Sharing a few of my slides here, though not rocket science, but it is good to go back to the basics at times! .....and work on executive functioning.

Ever so often, when it is time for work, the child has to make multiple trips to get the worksheet, pencil, eraser, toilet, drink, etc. 5 to 10 minutes had lapsed. Blood pressure rising. And......not a word on the worksheet.

How many of us can relate to that 🙄🤦‍♀️?

22/01/2022

In line with Enabling Master Plan 3 (EMP3), to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities, support caregivers and build the community, and to build an inclusive society. I am glad to have shared information on people with Autism and Intellectual disabilities with Officers from Singapore Police Force (SPF) on 06 and 07 Jan 2022. I hope that our Special Needs community will be better understood by the “Home Team”

PWIDs may have speech, language and communication difficulties which can hamper their ability to express their thoughts effectively. In addition, they can be fearful of police or other authority figures and may be more susceptible to admitting to offences they did not commit, providing inaccurate information to the Police, or otherwise incriminate themselves due to their inability to effectively communicate with the Investigation Officer.
Extract from https://www.lawsocprobono.org/Pages/Appropriate-Adult-AA-Scheme. aspx

The MSF website may undergo scheduled maintenance on 20 June and every Tues, Fri and 1st Sun of the month, from 12am to 6am. > Click here for the latest Safe Management Measures for weddings. > Click here for other COVID-19 advisories. > Click here for COVID-19 FAQs (for support schemes, etc).

11/12/2021

I am excited to be part of this initiative by Neuro play systems, finalist in the 2021 President's Challenge, Social Enterprise Start-Up of the Year. NeuroPlay is on a mission to make therapy more accessible and data-driven. Their remote therapy monitoring module ensures that parents and therapists could track the progress of their children, even at home. Neuro play systems made it possible for children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders, Cerebral Palsy to develop their motor skills anywhere, anytime through fun and engaging games.

In the video below, we see the "Word game". One word (3-5 letters) will first appear and and subsequently spaced out. The child is to collect the letters in sequential order to form the target word. This game develops their visual working memory and hand-eye coordination. The data collected via this game allows the therapists to understand the patterns of learning that the child is exhibiting and their preferred way of learning.

Learn more about their products at www.neuroplaysystems.com

11/12/2021

Many Congratulations to the founders of Neuro play systems Bipin Bhola, PhD, MBA, Chun Wai Cheong, and Siddhartha GuptaBipin. Neuro play systems has made it to the finals of President's Challenge 2021 Social Enterprise Start-Up of the Year. NeuroPlay is on a mission to make therapy more accessible and data-driven. Their remote therapy monitoring module made it possible for children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders, Cerebral Palsy to develop their motor skills anywhere, anytime through fun and engaging game. Parents and therapists could track the progress of their children, even at home.

Understanding that learning shouldn't be confined within the four walls of a therapy centre, NeuroPlay, Social Enterprise Start-Up of the Year... 21 comments on LinkedIn

03/08/2021

https://www.merriammusic.com/school-of-music/singing-for-speech-development/

In addition to boosting their moods, keeping them on their feet and helping to build their confidence, research also shows that including music in a child’s life can also improve their speech.

Developing children can really benefit from music – and not just in one way. In addition to boosting their moods, keeping them on their feet and helping to

28/07/2021

There has been many reports and talks about mental health. In an Asian culture, maybe it is not as openly or widely discussed. However, this does not mean that mental health issues do not exist.

Some of us mask it, some sweep it under the carpet, some seek help and talk about it, etc.

There is so much more that can be done for our teens, children and importantly their caregivers and educators (who play a very important role, high stress one too).

Recently, a few friends and I have come together, to develop and run workshops, lunch zoom talks, courses on mental health and well being. You can find out more about our events as follows:

Chattycaterpillar.com/events

We are each work in progress, constantly growing and evolving. With support as a team and community, we can better flourish and blossom.

Stay safe and be well🥰

Connect with your inner self and let your body lead your movement, experience freedom of expression and gain confidence.

21/07/2021

I am happy to announce that I am partnering Chatty Caterpillar to be their Curriculum Designer, advocating for Mental Health.

09/05/2021

When you have a neurotypical child, you feel reasonably assured that class participation and decent study habits will result in good grades. These kids have close friends. They get invited to participate in social things like dances and weekend gatherings. They make the teams, auditions, organizations and clubs.

But when you have a child with certain differences, this is often not the case. Learning may take longer, both academically and socially. Despite their tremendous efforts, results are often a fraction of their peers and social acceptance is fleeting, setting them up for painful comparisons and bitter frustration. Instead of a fun and fulfilling experience, school can become a breeding ground for depression and anxiety, and assignments a battle ground at home. It is exhausting for parent and child alike.

This is the week of SPED (Special Education), Autism, Dyslexia, and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) awareness.

For all the children who struggle every day to succeed in a world that does not recognize their gifts and talents, and for those who are walking beside them, please let this be a gentle reminder to be kind and accepting of ALL people.

Recognize that the "playing field" is not always a level surface.

Children who learn differently are not weird. They are merely gifted in ways that our society does not value enough. Yet they want what everyone else wants: To be accepted!!

If you choose, please "copy and paste" (by touching and holding the text) onto your profile in honor of all children who are deemed "different".
Our world would be far less beautiful without them.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

09/05/2021

Happy Mother's Day to all the selfless, dedicated and long suffering mothers out there!

In my work, I see many mothers giving up their careers, time, sleep and so much more for their child. The days where there seem to be no light at the end of the tunnel, the buckets of tears shed, the scrambling around town to buy the one costume for school performance, the long nights reading and researching, and so many more acts of love.

For some, we live to experience the moment our child says, 'I love you' or even a simplenyet powerful word, ' Mummy'. We also look beyond words and observe their non-verbals, showing your their love in their eyes.

No matter how lousy or incompetent you feel you are as a mum (we all have these moments), you are the BEST mother for your child. He/She feels you, beyond words can say.

Give yourself a pat on your shoulders Mummy.

Happy Mother's Day! You are the best!