In September 2023, two interns shadowed the team of teachers, psychologists, as well as speech and occupational therapists at an Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) centre to understand the ins and outs of working with young children.

Launched in 1983 by SARC (predecessor of MINDS), the EIPIC@Centre programme is a centre-based programme that supports children from ages 0 to 6 who require medium to high levels of early intervention support. These children are typically assessed to be at risk of, or have been diagnosed with, a developmental, intellectual, sensory or physical disability, or a combination of disabilities. Currently, there are over 20 centres in Singapore running the EIPIC programme. Outside of EIPIC centres, services such as home therapy and interventions in preschools may also be provided.

Please visit Early Intervention Programme for Infants & Children (enablingguide.sg) for more information about the current EIPIC programme. Please view Ho (2021) (http://www.smj.org.sg/article/current-status-early-childhood-developmental-intervention-ecosystem-singapore) for a comprehensive summary of the state-of-the-art of childhood interventions in Singapore, including how EIPIC fits in the local early childhood developmental intervention landscape.

Join Charmaine and Mengyu as they learn about what happens on a typical day at an EIPIC centre!

Many thanks to the Fei Yue @ Jurong East team for coordinating this shadowing opportunity and for accommodating us! We have learnt a lot from your patient guidance and involving us in the EIPIC classrooms. Last but not least, a special thank you to the Early Intervention team at Community Psychology Hub for the precious opportunity to understand the work in this department.

What was the overall shadowing process like? How was the experience for you?

Mengyu: We managed to observe two differently tiered classes at work, Tier 1B and 2B. The tiers (ranging across 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) represent varying degrees of needs of the children. It became evident that the classes were very different in terms of class size, profiles of the children, as well as the planned lesson activities. I enjoyed seeing how the staff adapted their intervention strategies based on the strengths and needs of each child (even within the same classroom!) and the energy of the children is always infectious.

(NB: I have also learnt that it is of paramount importance to keep the premises and ourselves clean because it is so easy for germs to spread in these settings. Talk about real infectious energy!)

Charmaine: It was interesting to get first-hand experience to observe the EIPIC programmes and see how they are carefully curated and implemented in the classrooms and on a needs-basis for the children. I was also very heartened by the many passionate individuals across professions in their efforts to actively bridge the learning gaps for this profile of children in the community.

Were there any incidents that stood out to you?

Mengyu: The dedication of the staff inspires me. It was amazing to see how teachers could keep their attention on all the children in the classroom, which can be challenging especially if, for example, one is hyperactive and another is withdrawn. Additionally, there are also many moving parts that staff have to keep an eye on: the teachers, therapists and psychologists all have to coordinate when they have contact with a specific child, and it is common for the child to be pulled out of class for individualised intervention where necessary.

In the general classrooms, there is a lot of adjustment that needs to be made on the fly in the way the teacher interacts with the children. I recall in the Tier 1B class where assistive communication strategies (i.e., using iPads) were required for some but not all, and the staff had to constantly switch gears when asking them questions or setting tasks for them.

Charmaine: The intentionality of how classes were conducted stood out for me – what teachers say and how teachers attend to the children served different intentions of stimulating their learning and accommodating to their communication needs. For instance, there was a child that I observed to be relatively high in energy levels and needed to be actively engaged if not there might be possible meltdowns or inattention. To attend to his needs and integrate him with the rest of the classmates in a group activity, it is evident that teachers have actively engaged him to erase the whiteboard or rearrange the class schedule to sustain his attention.

What did you learn?

Charmaine: Given the large numbers of referrals, there are still waitlists and its impact on children’s access to these services reflects a gap that the community is actively working to bridge. Observing the classroom settings and understanding the structural education system allows me to fully recognise and appreciate the importance of early intervention as children’s early years are not only crucial for development but also time-sensitive. I have also gained more insights into the role of psychologists in this sector – therapy, assessments, assisting the applications to special schools and working in a multidisciplinary team to ensure holistic care for the children.

Mengyu: It was surprising how classroom focus in the Tier 2B class turned towards academic preparation for Primary 1 schools rather than the more functional/adaptive skills focus in Tier 1B. I was not aware that EIPIC centres also provided academic preparation and school placement assessments for their children, but it made sense that EIPIC needed to provide a smooth transition for their children from the preschool to schooling stages of their lives. It was also interesting to learn that EIPIC programmes are sometimes delivered through home visits!

Finally, do you have any insights to share about this target population or working in this field?

Mengyu: I liked that the shadowing opportunity allowed me to draw connections to what I had previously learned in university courses as well as my experience working with (albeit) typically developing children in my research. People interested in working in early intervention definitely need to have the patience and passion for providing services to their clients, but it is also important to remember that interacting with children form the tip of the iceberg when working in this field. From the way the lessons were run, I could sense that there was a lot of background preparation that took place, ranging from classroom logistics, child assessment and goal setting, to follow-ups. As with all child-centred jobs I think dealing with parents and caregivers is also another pillar of work that cannot be forgotten!

Charmaine: During my internship at CPH, I mainly worked with persons with disability, ranging from late adolescence to early adulthood, on mental capacity assessments. Hence, it was interesting to see the larger picture and how services are put in place to address the needs of this population at the different life stages. I have learnt that working with this profile entails continuity of care, person-centeredness, patience and passion as key elements in enriching the lives of persons with disabilities.