Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) or ARC(S) is a
non-profit organisation
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
based in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and registered in year 2000. It was started by professional and parent volunteers dedicated to serving children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to help these individuals lead meaningful and independent lives in society.
ARC(S) has developed and launched the following key signature offerings:
* WeCAN Early Intervention Programme (WeCAN EIP) provides direct intervention to young children with autism 6 years and below using an effective autism curriculum that has been internally developed. WeCAN EIP is also the first internationally accredited early intervention programme in Asia by the National Autistic Society, United Kingdom since 2008. We currently serve 102 young children.
*
Pathlight School
Pathlight School is a special school for high-functioning children with autism in Singapore. Founded in 2004, it is run by the non-profit Autism Resource Centre and comprises one half of the national educational provision for autistic children. ...
, started by ARC(S), is the first
autism
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
-focused school offering Singapore's mainstream academic curriculum together with life readiness skills. The school caters to student with ASD and related disorders aged between 7 and 18 years of age who are cognitively able to access mainstream academic curriculum but require additional support such as smaller class sizes, special accommodations and teaching staff trained in autism. Pathlight has more than 1000 students enrolled at present in 3 educational programmes – Primary School, Secondary School and Vocational Track.
* Autism Intervention, Training and Consultancy Unit (AITC) which offers training endorsed by Singapore's government and social service agencies to empower more teachers, school leaders, professionals and family caregivers to support individuals affected by ASD (with more than 2000 training seats taken up per year). AITC also provides direct intervention services for individuals with ASD in education, employment, social and daily living skills. In addition, AITC provides consultancy services to Eden School, Eden Centre for Adults, Eden Children's Centre.
* Employability and Employment Centre (E2C) was officially launched on 19 March 2012 to serve the needs of teenagers and young adults with autism. The mission of the centre is to provide a stable and predictable environment where adults with autism can be trained in employability and vocational skills and become contributing members of the workforce. E2C has served more than 130 adult clients with autism since its inception and has successfully trained and placed close to 50 adults in various job placements.
Collaborations
In 2005, ARC partnered with
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
to set up a cafe training facility for youth at ARC's special education school
Pathlight School
Pathlight School is a special school for high-functioning children with autism in Singapore. Founded in 2004, it is run by the non-profit Autism Resource Centre and comprises one half of the national educational provision for autistic children. ...
to train people with autism and provide them with skills. In 2014, Starbucks opened its 100th store in Singapore at
The Fullerton Waterboat House
The Fullerton Waterboat House, originally known as the Water House, is a historic water supply house formerly used to supply fresh water to incoming ships in Singapore. The former Water House was gazetted for conservation in 2002 and has since re ...
, the store had six employees hired from ARC.
References
External links
Autism Resource CentreWeCAN Early Intervention
2000 establishments in Singapore
Autism-related organizations
Disability organisations based in Singapore
Child-related organisations in Singapore
Singaporean voluntary welfare organisations
Organizations established in 2000
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