UNDER

HER WING
Special needs students in mainstream education often
lag behind other students due to their disabilities.
Special Educational Needs counsellor Audrey
Wai explains how she helps students in Nanyang Written by Megan Tan
Polytechnic to spread their wings in a challenging world. Photos by Audrey Wai

Audrey Wai knew that something had to change Education (SEN) counsellor under the Ministry
when she noticed the cold treatment of a special of Education (MOE), where she worked with
needs student while in college. students in a mainstream secondary school.

“He was actually just enjoying a YouTube
video, mimicking what he saw in it. There
were some big movements and actions, which
people normally won’t do in a public space,”
she recounts. “He wasn’t directly in anyone’s
way, but I think people just did not know how
to react to him,” she adds.
Audrey recalls some bystanders staying away
from the student, and others passing crude
remarks, or even asking for the teenager to be
taken away. After the encounter, she witnessed
subsequent episodes with other differently
abled individuals garnering negative attention
from the public. Seeing the struggles they face
in Singaporean society, it inspired her to step
up as an advocate for people with special needs.
In her own words, “There will be less judgement
in the world if we had more awareness of how
people are different.”
The Road To SEN Counselling
Currently at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)
for more than half a year, Audrey also plans
access arrangements for SEN students, such
as extra time for exams, bigger monitors,
and text-to-speech applications for laptops.
Additionally, she also gives transition support
to SEN students during the different phases of
school life, from enrolment into NYP to post-
graduation.
The Disadvantages Of Disabilities
Audrey says that the biggest challenge in her
counselling career is that the same strategy
cannot be applied to everyone. It is about what
works best for each student. Because of their
diverse backgrounds, she must tailor each
counselling session based on each student’s
requirements. She also emphasised the
importance of respecting reluctant students’
space and figuring out the best solution to
support them.

Set on giving her support to the special needs
community, Audrey pursued a degree in
psychology due to her interest in social sciences
and working with humans. She received
an opportunity to work as a Special Needs
Based on her observations, a recent obstacle
that special needs students face is the impact of
the COVID-19 lockdown on their debilitated
social skills. After a long period of isolation,
they struggle to resume navigation in the social

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world. The SEN “I feel privileged that “There are agencies
counsellors act as a around that still
pillar of support for the students are willing support people with
the students who have to open up to us. We’re disabilities. But for
difficulty adapting
to the COVID-era just strangers; we don’t post-graduation
assistance, it is
landscape. even know each other limited to one

“Some common
to start with.” organisation.
maybe there can
So

problems include be more of these

the ability to handle disagreements, thinking
from another person’s perspective, or maybe
just even expressing themselves,” Audrey
says. “We have been working on social skills
and creating platforms that allow special needs
students to interact in a safe space.”
Evolving Support For The Differently
Abled
In contrast to the previous years, Audrey
claims that there has been visible improvement
in educational assistance for students
with disabilities, both in special
education (SPED) schools
and mainstream ones. She
commented, “I feel the
government is stepping
up for awareness and
support. We now
have SEN offices in all
the polytechnics (in
Singapore), compared
to five years ago without
them.” She added that
SEN counsellors were also
only first introduced seven years
ago in schools.
Furthermore, there have been more initiatives
that have successfully increased public
awareness, and even piqued the curiosity of
some members of the public to learn more
about the special needs community. However,
Audrey mentions that more post-graduation
support can be created for tertiary graduates.
agencies to aid people with special needs out
there who are still struggling to find a job.”
When Students Soar
At the end of the day, the SEN counsellor
describes the trust the students have in her as a
‘privilege’. To her, being able to listen and be
there for them gives her immense satisfaction.
“I feel privileged that the students are willing
to open up to us. We’re just strangers; we
don’t even know each other to start with.”
To Audrey, the most unforgettable
moments in her job are the ones
that are delightfully unexpected.
“At first, some students seem
like they don’t appreciate
anything. But after they
learn how to express their
thanks, I get a pleasant
surprise and feel quite
touched,” she revealed.
For people who aspire to
take a similar path in the SEN
industry, she readily welcomes them
to join and contribute to a good cause.
She recommends visiting relevant research
companies, volunteering with special needs
organisations, and attending local awareness
events to have an idea of what to expect. “You
will definitely be creating value. Just go for it;
I think we will still need a lot of like-minded
people to join the industry. But if you can’t,
just do it in your own little ways.”

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