Saturday, January 10, 2015

How to bring out the best in your person with autism

How is the autism community like in your home country like? Are they committed to bring the best out of the person with autism?

I'll start with my own country, Singapore.


Our people with autism (especially low-functioning autistic people) have government subsidies, which provide a minimum support, enough to live on. 





Some people with ASD have vocational training, giving them a 'job'. Standardized testing ensures that able Singaporeans, even with autism spectrum disorders, maximize their opportunities in life so long as they meet a certain standard on them. They are placed in STEM, business support or even the arts.

Despite the fantastic job in Singapore so far, there is still dissatisfaction in the Singapore autism community. They include the enlistment of males under conscription (which is not too desirable given that it's coerced, but it could work out well with support from the armed forces, as Singapore has conscription), the inability to get into the civil service and similar 'stable jobs' (and hence, a stable source of living, especially for higher-functioning individuals with autism) and rejection of health and medical insurance cover for autistic individuals.


I can only say most members of the autism community are content, but many are not, as more can be done. Perhaps a step in the positive direction would be having the autism organisations in Singapore to examine its biggest issues and work them for the good of people with autism, at the local context, as much more can be done. There could be international cooperation on autism, if this helps to better what we can offer at the local level.