Follow Us
Facebook Instagram Linkedin

KidsFirst School

KidsFirst is an Early Intervention Programme for children 2- 12 years. Our comprehensive Early Intervention Team is made up of Special Educators, Occupational Therapists (OT), Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) and Physiotherapists (PT). Each student enrolled in our program receives an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that highlights key developmental areas of need. Our team of in-house OT, SLT and PT works alongside our Special Education Teaching Team to develop a comprehensive support plan for each student and family. We follow international best practices by including daily Occupational and Speech and Language therapy groups within the classrooms, as well as providing individual therapy for students.

This comprehensive Early Intervention programme incorporates positive behavioural supports for students identified as benefiting from additional behaviour supports. Our OT, SLT, and PT team provides groups within the classrooms as well as individual OT, SLT, and PT therapy.

The IEP contains educational and developmental objects, with supplementary OT, SLT, and PT objectives for students.

Children can attend KidsFirst School either 3 or 5 days a week with full or half-day options available. Children within our program benefit from a small class size led by a Special Education Teacher. All children at KidsFirst receive Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language therapy and Physiotherapy from our in-house therapy team.

At KidsFirst, we have differentiated pathways of intervention determined by the developmental needs of the children. Our learning pathways include Early Years, Early Years Foundation, Readiness Program and the School-Aged Functional Learning Program. Please read more about these different pathways below.

Dynamic Movement Intervention

KidsFirst are excited to announce we will be the first centre in Singapore to be conducting intensive DMI sessions in our Early Intervention Program for our intensive therapy kids.

Every Wednesday morning, our OT team will conduct hands on intervention sessions and we would love to have parents join and learn with us.

What is DMI?

Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) is a comprehensive intervention that incorporates current research on neurorehabilitation, technologies, and methodologies. This therapeutic technique is used by physical (PT) and occupational therapists to treat children with gross motor impairments by improving and/or provoking a desired action with great emphasis on alignment, sensory integration, and function. The goal is to promote progress toward developmental milestones.

Why We Love DMI

DMI expands and complements our intensive program due to its focus on clinical reasoning, current research, the whole child, and its multi-disciplinary/multi-modality approach.  DMI allows our team to not only incorporate more techniques and tools into the framework of a session, but at the same time, allows us to customize each plan based on your child’s needs and parents’ goals.

All DMI sessions are conducted by DMI-trained physiotherapists and occupational therapists, qualified up to Level C Advanced.

For more information, click here to download a copy of our brochure.

We are certified!

Early Years Program

The Early Years Program is a developmental program which supports young children to achieve important developmental milestones which allow them to functionally interact with their environment and people within it. The Early Years Program fosters development in key areas such as – Social communication, Functional fine and gross motor skills, Early cognitive skills, and Adaptative skills.

Our Early Years program is made up of two class groups: The Early Years and Early Years Foundations class.

Early Years

Students in the Early Years class focus on developing early developmental milestones within 3 key areas:- communication and language, physical development, personal, social, and emotional development.

Communication and language – 

  • Engaging in back-and-forth interactions with teachers and peers as this is a key foundation for language and cognitive development.
  • Engaging and interacting with stories to provide children with extensive opportunities to learn new words and develop important listening and attending skills.

Physical Development –

  • Children engage in sensory exploration using gross and fine motor experiences.
  • Play movements with objects and adults to help develop strength, coordination and positional awareness.

Personal, Social, and Emotional Development –

  • We foster strong warm and supportive relationships between students and teachers and therapists to enable each child to learn how to understand their own feelings and the feelings of others.
  • Children are supported in managing their emotions which helps develop a positive sense of self.

Early Years Foundation

Students in the Early Years Foundations class continue to work on developing early developmental milestones within the areas listed above. They will also be working on preparing for the transition to other programs within our school (e.g. School Readiness).

This class will prepare students to make this transition by –

  • Working on following and engaging in adult lead activities.
  • Developing further independence in transitioning between activities within the classroom.
  • Promoting further independence with Activities of Daily Living.
  • Attending to and completing project-led activities over multiple days following broader classroom themes.
  • Encouraging independence in collecting materials for classroom activities.
  • Reducing scaffolds for transitional supports.

Students within both classes of our Early Years Program have access to the Attention Autism Program.

School Readiness Program

The School Readiness Program is a developmental program that works on developing the skills needed to prepare for primary school. The School Readiness program builds upon the skills students acquire within the Early Years and Early Years Foundation Programme. When students transition into the School Readiness Program they begin to develop skills through group based instructions, following classroom routines, schedules and completing activities within the class. Students are also exposed to early academics in both numeracy and literacy. A structured timetable is followed and classroom activities include literacy and numeracy lessons. The Readiness Program also fosters key areas such as social-communication, cognitive, fine and gross motor skills and social skills which are essential skills required to build on before going to school.

The Readiness Program also offers planned school trips to different outdoor / indoor places to allow children to explore their creativity and generalize skills learnt in class such as being able to follow directions or instructions in a different environmental setting. We also have fun-filled events that happen throughout the year to tap on the child’s learning and explorations such as nurse visits, police visits and more!

Within the School Readiness Program we have two class groups.

What assessments are used in the Readiness Programme?

Children are assessed using the Assessment Evaluation Planning System (AEPS), which is a comprehensive intervention and evaluation system for children from birth to six years old. This system allows us to assess and evaluate six key developmental areas: Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Cognitive, Adaptive, Social-communication, and Social. In addition, our children receive a range of standardized behavior, adaptive, and learning assessments, alongside a full Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech Therapy (ST) assessment, including a home visit to ensure in-depth screening. Following the assessment, educational targets are selected, and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is formulated that is tailored to each individual child. The AEPS and IEPs are reviewed and updated every four months, with current goals updated and new goals added based on the updated assessment.


School Readiness curriculums do we follow?

Within the Readiness Program, we incorporate multiple educational and developmental curriculums into our lesson plans. We follow curriculums that use multi-sensory approaches to help foster children’s reading and writing in the English language. Below are the curriculums we use in the School Readiness Program:

Jolly Phonics

Learning without Tears (LWT) and Handwriting Without Tears (HWT)

Oxford Reading Tree

Zones of Regulation

School Aged Life-Skills Program

The School Aged Life-Skills Program is a structured educational program that supports children with moderate to high support needs to acquire the foundational skill set necessary to be independent as possible in their daily lives and in their community.

We utilise life skills curriculums to apply a direct teaching approach in order to support the development of three key areas in our students –

Social Skills

This area encompasses all the necessary skills for our students to become active members of their communities and to be successful in interacting with the people within them. We work on skills such as:

  • Understanding self- developing personal interests and self-regulation strategies.
  • Functional communication- being able to express one's needs, thoughts and ideas.
  • Community Safety Skills- Road safety, fire safety and personal safety
  • Maintaining interpersonal relationships- building connections and friendships with others.
  • Partaking in recreation and leisure activities at home and in the community.
  • Utilising community services- taking public transport and engaging community helpers.

Functional Academic Skills

Our students are taught core academic skills that allow them to grow towards independence such as:

  • Time management -managing daily schedules and activity planning.
  • Money skills – basic handing of money and safe keeping.
  • Measurements – functional use of measurement and volume in cooking and household organising.
  • Functional literacy- recognizing symbols, reading everyday signs and reading directions.

Daily Living Skills

We teach our students the necessary motor, cognitive and communication skills to be able to perform daily living routines such as:

  • Personal hygiene and grooming toileting, bathing, brushing teeth and dressing.
  • Food preparation and cooking: following simple steps in a recipe, utilising various kitchen equipment and kitchen safety.
  • Maintaining personal property: caring for personal belongings, packing and organising.
  • Maintaining of living spaces: housekeeping chores such as laundry, basic cleaning and tidying.
  • Basic health education: identifying basic nutrition, maintaining exercise, and basic self-care.

Holiday Intensive Program

This program allows students enrolled at other schools to join us while on term breaks. This program is open throughout the year and parents can enrol their child for a minimum of 2 weeks in our Early Intervention School Program. Discover KidsFirst runs 9am-3pm Mon to Fri.

Discover KidsFirst
 

This Program runs as a supplementary program to our Early Intervention Program (EIP). It is open throughout the year to families with children that do not currently attend our EIP program. The Discover KidsFirst program is perfect for families looking to keep their child engaged during their term breaks while continuing to support their learning and development in a Special Education setting. Families can enrol their child for a minimum of 2 weeks into KidsFirst School. We have openings in our Early Years, School Readiness, and School- Aged Life Skills program. All students enrolled in the Discover KidsFirst program will access small class sizes led by Special Education Teachers. Individual Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) sessions (1 hour per discipline each week). Group based OT and SLT sessions with their classmates. Families are also welcome to join any fun activities taking place within the center during their child’s time in the Discover KidsFirst program. Previous fun events have included- KidsFirst Movie Night, KidsFirst School Trips, KidsFirst Sports Day, and Parent Education Talks. You will also receive updates on your child’s time in class and individual therapies while they are enrolled in the Discover KidsFirst program.

We have spaces available within our Early Years, School Readiness, and School- Aged Life Skills programs . Spaces are limited within the Discover KidsFirst program so we recommend parents reach out and secure a space early!

Curriculums and Teaching Practices

At KidsFirst we have embedded evidence based curriculums into all of our classrooms to promote children’s engagement and development.

We use the Early Years Framework from the UK as well as research-based special education curriculums to ensure measurable systematic delivery of developmentally appropriate skill acquisition. Our Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are formulated using the AEPS system. This developmental assessment highlights children’s areas of need within 6 key developmental domains- cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, adaptive, social, and social- communication. Developmental base-lines are determined for each child allowing our team to draw out priority skills that are detailed within each child’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP) encompassing classroom-based and therapist-led goals. Our IEPs contain both developmental and academic goals. While at KidsFirst children will learn about their world, literacy, mathematics, and expressive arts and design.

Developmental curriculums and approaches such as the Early Start Denver and Learning Without Tears are utilized by our specialist teachers to cater to each child’s unique developmental profile. We are also the only center in Singapore to be fully trained in the Attention Autism approach. This is an evidence-based approach created by a Speech and Language Therapist to help children with additional needs develop attention and communication skills. This approach engages children through the use of visually based and highly motivating activities. It is a popular approach and is widely used in schools in the UK and other countries.

Our Special Education Teachers and Therapists also support children by providing holistic behaviour support following a positive behaviour support model. We work together to support functional daily living skills such as hygiene and self-care, mealtime routines, and toileting.

Click here to view and download the EQUALS Curriculum brochure.

Integration of Therapy and Classroom Supports

Our in-house Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy team therapists work alongside our Special Education Teaching Team to support all students at KidsFirst. Our OT and SLT team completes developmental assessments to help further understand each child’s specific strengths and areas of need. This information helps develop an understanding of each child’s profile which helps develop supports tailored to each child and families unique needs. Our center-based Therapy team is involved in IEP goal setting, goal reviews, and IEP family meetings. Our Therapy team also conducts individual Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy sessions to help further skill attainment for students.

Our OT team facilitates gross motor groups in our OT gyms. During these groups students get to work on group participation, gross motor activities, peer interactions, and play.

Our SLT team facilitates Story retell and Social-Communication Play groups in class. Our story retell groups help develop students’ ability to answer simple questions and recall early details. SLT Social-Communication Play groups work on developing joint attention skills and symbolic play.

Our Specialized therapy team utilizes the following approaches Sensory Integration, DIR Floortime, Learn to Play, iLS (Integrated Learning Systems), SOS Approach to Picky Eating, DMI- Dynamic Movement Intervention, Attention Autism, and Social Thinking.

Additional Therapy supports available within KidsFirst Early Intervention Programme

Food school – For students that have been identified as picky eaters. Food school following the principles of SOS Approach to picky eating.
Specialized Seating and Positioning – Our OT team can provide additional support for students that will benefit from specialized seating and positioning within the classroom.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Parent Training – This parent training helps support parents understanding of best practices for AAC introduction and use.

Empowering Parents

We believe that parents and families know their children best. We work closely with parents to ensure that the goals for the child match the family’s priorities by providing numerous ways for our team and families to come together, connect and share information.

We provide families with learning documentation, parent-team meetings, and therapy meetings but also additional supports through:

  • Weekly updates on classroom individual IEP goals on the ClassDojo app.
  • Daily log on students school day via a communication book.
  • Home visits by our OT team as part of our assessment process to gather parent concerns and provide tailored supports for home.
  • Parent sit in Circle times and Parent led Storytimes in school.
  • Parent & Caregiver Training Presentations by our team and external professionals on topics related to children’s development and how to support them.
  • Sit in individual SLT and OT sessions with fortnightly written feedback via ClassDojo.
  • Reading resources and a Parent lending library of useful support books for families to access.
  • The Parent Lending Library carries a variety of books on subjects like parenting strategies, behaviour management, building self-esteem, effective communication, ADHD, bullying, and regulation. The collection of Parent Resources is housed in our waiting area and books are available to be borrowed exclusively by the parents or caregivers of our students.
  • Parent Network through Parent Coffee Mornings and facilitated Play Dates with children, parents, and an OT.
  • Parent meetings to review students progress and continued areas of need.

Beyond KidsFirst

At KidsFirst we are working towards our students transitioning into formalised schooling. Our programme not only gathers developmental information from the time of enrolment that can be shared with prospective schools, we also assist parents in navigating the school selection processes. We help bridge the transition between our programme and schools by liaising with enrolment staff, teachers, learning support staff and therapists to ensure a thorough handover by conducting site visits, teacher training as well as meetings with the schools.

Individual therapy services can be accessed after school hours. Please contact us for more information on our therapy services.

Enquire Now

Ongoing Events

Take a look at some of our events at KidsFirst.
All events are KidsFirst are complimentary for families.

 

Join Us for an Empowering Parenting Talk!

Are you ready to enhance your parenting journey? Don’t miss our upcoming talk on “Embracing Positive Parenting” with Fiona Maher O’Sullivan, a leading counsellor and psychotherapist.

🔑 What you’ll gain:

  • Understand your emotions and parenting style
  • Develop resilience and empathy for better guidance
  • Master active listening and effective communication skills
  • Build trust and create a safe environment for your child
  • Raise confident, empathetic children for life’s challenges

🗓 Date: Tuesday, 10th December 2024
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
📍 Location: 8 Hongkong Street, Singapore, 05965

Reserve your spot now and transform the way you connect with your child! Click https://qrco.de/bfXrrr or scan the QR code to register for FREE.

𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒!

🎉𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬! 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒!🎉

We are thrilled to announce that KidsFirst has been recognized as the Silver Winner for Best Early Intervention Centre in the prestigious Singapore Education Awards 2024 by HoneyKids Asia! 🏅

A huge thank you to everyone who voted and supported us – we couldn’t have achieved this without you! 🙌 This recognition is a testament to our dedicated team and the incredible children and families we have the privilege of working with.

Past Events

Singapore Police Force Visit

🚨KidsFirst had a visit from the Police today 🚔

Constable Carmen and her deputies from Singapore Police Force, Marina Bay Sands helped dress some mini Police Men👮‍♀️ and Women👮 Children explored equipment such as Police vests, gloves, traffic torches and guards for the children to explore.

Children loved listening to the story of Ray the Lion 🦁who helped the police find a missing boy. And showing us the Police are here to keep us safe.

Thank you to Constable Carmen and her Colleagues – Brian, Junaidi and Faez for visiting us and providing such lovely Goodie Bags – the children loved it!

Halloween Party

🎃👻 Spooktacular Fun at Our School Halloween Party! 👻🎃

What a fun day of fun, creativity, and a little bit of spooky magic! From awesome costumes to yummy treats, our little ghouls and goblins had a blast celebrating Halloween together!

A big thank you to parents who came in to join the spooky celebrations – and dressing up along with the kids – we love to see it!

Dulwich International School Singapore

A fantastic morning for our clinical director Niamh and lead Occupational therapist Peter presenting to over 100 teachers at Dulwich International School Singapore. The presentation focused on practical techniques to support behaviour and emotional regulation in early years classrooms. It was an engaging and thought provoking session and we thank all the teachers for their thoughtful contributions throughout the session.

Celebrating Differences

This week at KidsFirst, we celebrated Speech Therapy Week by embracing the diversity in how we communicate! 🎉

Our speech therapists and children explored different ways we communicate, from words to gestures to using devices. The therapists also wore wristbands to represent various communication modes. We honoured the uniqueness of every individual, fostering belonging and understanding. This year’s theme, ‘Celebrating Differences,’ reminds us all to respect and value the diverse ways we express ourselves. 🌟

KidsFirst Wins Impact Award for Education

We’re excited to announce that KidsFirst Singapore has received the Impact Award for Education from Autism NI! This award recognizes our commitment to enhancing autism accessibility and support. Thanks to the specialized training and tailored action plans provided by Autism NI, we’ve been able to improve our learning environments and support strategies for children of all ages.

Niamh Donnelly, our Clinical Director, highlights how the award has helped us create a more inclusive environment and better support our families. We’re proud to be part of this global movement towards better accessibility and support for autistic individuals.

Community Service Club Visit

A big thank you to the volunteers from the Singapore Institute Technology Community Service Club! 🌟 

We’re thrilled to have had incredible Speech&Language students to join us at KidsFirst! From fun themed arts and crafts sessions to sensory play, the students brought so much joy to our little ones. Theme included pirates, sea animals and pizza making 🎨🎲

We so grateful for the time and effort these Speech & Langauage students have put into making a difference.

LET’S GET IN TOUCH

We are happy to arrange a phone call to answer your questions, We can also arrange a complimentary center visit to discuss KidsFirst school with one of our Team members.

Book A School Visit
Quick Links
Contact Us
Find Us
Career
© Copyright 2022 KidsFirst | All Rights Reserved.
Find Us
Book a School Visit
Message Us

Amelia Roberts

Physiotherapist Assistant
Dynamic Movement Intervention and Motor Specialist

  • Graduated From

York St. John University – First-class Honours degree in Physiotherapy BSc (Hons) 

  • Past Work Experience

Amelia’s journey in working with children commenced at age 17 when she served as a lifeguard and coach at a summer club. She then transitioned to the role of a physiotherapy assistant at a prestigious private hospital in the UK. Pursuing her passion further, she enrolled in university to pursue a degree in physiotherapy. Post-graduation, she embarked on a career in the National Health Service (NHS), gaining extensive experience through rotational physiotherapy placements in both adult and pediatric settings, including acute and community care. Progressing from a static pediatric band 5 physiotherapist to band 6, she honed her expertise before transitioning to a private pediatric practice where she specialized in Dynamic Movement Therapy (DMI). Concurrently, she continues her impactful work in the NHS as a specialist pediatric physiotherapist.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Amelia’s approach to working with children is rooted in providing tailored, innovative, and impactful interventions for each individual. She is committed to empowering both parents and children, fostering belief in their abilities to overcome challenges and achieve their aspirations. Believing in the potential of every child, she is dedicated to facilitating their journey towards greatness, irrespective of past setbacks.

  • Training and Certification

Dynamic Movement Therapy

Bobath for Adults

Cerebral Palsy Integrated Pathway (CPIP)

Whole Body Vibration Therapy (WBV)

TEDEI (Training in Early Detection for Early Intervention)

Peter O Brien

Occupational Therapist
Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner
Head of Department

  • Graduated From

University of Ulster, Jordanstown (Northern Ireland) – Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy).

  • Past Work Experience

Peter graduated from the University of Ulster with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and has been living in Singapore for 11 years. During this time, he has worked within a private clinics in Singapore, and in 2 International School settings.

Clinically, Peter has worked with children from toddlers to teenagers and a variety of developmental and physical needs. Peter has worked with a variety of clinical needs including sensory processing difficulties, feeding challenges and various motor and learning challenges. 

Some recent notable professional achievements for Peter have been the opportunity to be a part of a development team for an Intensive Support Program in an international school setting, and the creation of in school Occupational Therapy services within another International school.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Peter believes in a holistic approach encompassing the Childs occupation at both home and school, taking not just a functional approach but also a psychosocial approach. He has centered his professional development to ensure he is skilled in working with not just the child but the team around them.

  • Training and Certification

USC Chan Sensory Integration Continuing Education (CE)

Certificate in Dyspraxia- Defining, Assessing and Intervening for Change 

Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training

Reimbursement

Physical Agents and Modalities

Credentialing, Regulation, Licensure, and Supervision of OT

Dysphagia and related care (AOTA approved)

Therapeeds Julia Harper sensory Integration courses 1-2-3

Community Mobility (AOTA approved)

Floortime Greenspan Approach 201

HANDLE Introductory course

Supervision and case management (Florida gulf Coast University)

CPR training

Apple Teacher Certified

Common Sense Educator

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Training

Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) Therapy

Our family has so much gratitude for KidsFirst and especially the teachers the therapists for our son. After our first meeting with the teachers and the therapists, we felt heard and we knew they could guide us through our son’s IEP.

Navigating the IEP process is challenging and in many instances frustrating. Often there were times when I felt unheard and dismissed by my child’s previous schools. It was the best feeling going into our IEP with a solid plan and the staff being there to support. Their collective knowledge of our son’s needs (and abilities) coupled with extensive experience in education/special education, along with their child-centred approach has allowed to identify those support that would benefit and assist our son in a way that makes our son feel successful. We learned so much along the way.

Enrolling KidsFirst gave us the robust IEP we wanted, and furthermore, needed for our son’s needs. Their level of care and understanding is unmatched. It has been nothing short of amazing for our son and the rest of us. He is so calm, well regulated and has developed more functional communication skills. Such a positive change for him – he has always loved school, but now it feels like he is getting so much more from it. We are now confident that our son will get what he needs from his education as long as he remains at KidsFirst.

We find that we can take a deep breath and have confidence that our child will get the support he requires. Our only regret is not enrolling our son earlier. We will and have recommended KidsFirst to other families who are not getting their child’s goals and needs met within their school and IEP. There is no clear path to get your child what they need, but KidsFirst have the resources to getting them there. Once again we have immense gratitude to the team that works with our son.

 

Nina

 

Sinead Nathan

Principal Physiotherapist

  • Graduated From

University of Limerick, Ireland – Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy

  • Past Work Experience

After graduating Sinead moved to Singapore where she worked for 2 years in school based early intervention with 0-6 year old children with Neuro physical And developmental delays. Sinead then went on to complete over 3 years in an acute hospital. In 2018 Sinead returned to work in paediatrics in a private setting where she got to work and train in the application of therasuit and neurosuit, spidercage therapy and Cuevas Medek Exercises (CME).

In 2021 Sinead made the decision to return to Ireland with her family, where she continued to work in paediatrics private practice. Being Ireland’s first CME therapist, Sinead worked in introducing this ground breaking therapy to families and therapists. Sinead assisted in setting up individualised intensives for clients and implementing intensives during school holidays.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Sinead strives to empower children to reach their maximum potential and believes that every milestone is a big milestone. Sinead also knows that motivation is important for participation and does her best to understand each child and get to know their personal interests and goals to help them achieve greater function.

 

  • Training and Certification

Vestibular rehabilitation in adults

Cuevas Medek Exercises certified

Therasuit method and spidercage therapy

DMI certified

Alzena Chiam

Senior Speech and Language Therapist

  • Graduated From

Masters of Speech Pathology

National University of Singapore – Bachelor of Arts (Social Work)

  • Past Work Experience

Alzena worked in a paediatric setting in Australia and has experience in a variety of clinical areas. The areas include working with children that presents with speech and language difficulties and disorders, autism spectrum disorder, global developmental delay, social communication disorders, fluency disorders, and intellectual disabilities. Having completed a degree in social work, and a diploma in psychological studies, Alzena demonstrates a strong interest in working with the vulnerable population. She strives to advocate for her clients in pursuit of the best possible outcomes.

During her free time, Alzena also volunteered in a hospital supporting adults with chronic aphasia and special education school supporting children with special needs.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Alzena is passionate about providing holistic evidence-based client-centred care to clients and their families. She believes in employing innovation and creativity to ensure that therapy sessions are fun, enjoyable and at the same time support clients in realising their full potential. She strives to empower parents, teachers and other relevant stakeholders by equipping them with the skills and knowledge to support their child’s speech and language development.

  • Training and Certification

Hanen – It takes two to talk

Attended trainings on Key Word Sign Australia

Holly Yau

Principal Speech and Language Therapist

  • Graduated From

National University of Singapore

 

  • Past Work Experience

Holly has extensive experience working with children in different settings since graduating in 2009. She has worked with patients and their families in special education schools as well as in private therapy clinics.

She sees children aged 18 months to 18 years old with a variety of conditions and developmental disorders (autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, etc.). She has experience seeing them in individual sessions, group therapy sessions, home therapy as well as in tele-therapy.

She is particularly passionate about working with children aged 7 and under. She is keen to help them and their families build a good foundation for their child’s speech and language development.

She is fluent in English and Mandarin. She is also able to speak conversational Cantonese.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Holly believes in helping every child to live up to their fullest potential. She strives to partner with caregivers and other professionals to provide therapy that would best benefit the child and the family.

  • Training and Certification

It Takes Two to Talk – The Hanen Program for Parents of Children with Language Delays

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Level 1

Talktools: A Three-Part Treatment Plan for Oral Placement Therapy

SOS Approach (Sequential Oral Sensory Approach to Feeding)

M.O.R.E.: Integrating the Mouth with Sensory and Postural Functions

Diagnosis and Treatment of CAS using Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC)

Melissa Loh

Senior Occupational Therapist

  • Graduated From

University of Melbourne, Australia – Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies

Singapore Institute of Technology – Bachelor of Science (Hons) Occupational Therapy

  • Past Work Experience

Prior to being an Occupational Therapist, Melissa held previous roles in early childhood and special education where she had the privilege to work with children and young adults with special needs in both school based and center based settings. These experiences gave her opportunities to assess and tailor interventions to meet the individual care needs and goals of her clients and families.

 

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

As an Occupational Therapist, Melissa is passionate about creating a supportive environment for growth and learning, nurturing the potential within each client by giving them the tools to thrive. She is a strong advocate in partnering caregivers during the therapy process, recognizing their essential roles in achieving positive outcomes together.

 

Kacey Lieu Ngoc Diep

Senior Occupational Therapist

  • Graduated From

La Trobe University (Melbourne, Australia) – Bachelor of Health Sciences and Master of Occupational Therapy Practice

  • Past Work Experience

Prior to arriving in Singapore, Kacey worked as an allied health assistant in a private therapy clinic in Melbourne, where she found her passion in working with children with a wide range of needs. She was also a tutor for children with disabilities and find much joy in working with all children. Upon graduating with a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, Kacey has experience working in public healthcare settings, private and community clinics. In her career as a paediatric occupational therapist, she has worked closely with preschool and school-aged children to support the development of executive functions, emotional regulation, as well as other motor and learning challenges.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Kacey believes that every child is different and that effective intervention should be tailored to their unique strengths, abilities and interests. By creating a fun, encouraging, and supportive experience, she is able to connect with the child and build a strong and meaningful relationship with them. She is also passionate in finding the best strategy to support children enjoying the therapy sessions while becoming more self-confident and making improvements in their own skills.

 

  • Training and Certification

Essentials of Sensory Integration by Dr Teresa May – Benson

DIR®/FloortimeTM 101 DIR Model (Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship Model)

Grace Tan

Senior Occupational Therapist

  • Graduated From

Curtin University with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy

  • Past Work Experience

She has over 4 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist in special education in Singapore. Grace has experience working with children with autism, cerebral palsy and profound multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). In a school-based setting, she has worked closely with Individualised Education Program (IEP) team to support students in areas such as sensory integration, self-care skills, leisure participation, assistive technology prescription, and vocational training. Grace has carried out postural care interventions such prescription of specialised seating and sleep systems through collaboratively working with other therapists and providing parent coaching on 24-hour postural care. She has also conducted trainings for teachers in school to equip them with strategies that can be carried out in their classrooms.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

As an Occupational Therapist, Grace believes that attunement is key to connect with the child before supporting them to develop their skills to participate in their daily activities. She is passionate about integrating children with disabilities in the community through empowering their families and advocating for their needs. With a strong supportive ecosystem, the child can meaningfully engage and thrive in their natural environment.

  • Training and Certification

USC Sensory Integration Continuing Education Certificate Program

DIR 101 Introduction to DIR® and DIRFloortime®

Postural Care Awareness (Level 2) by Open College Network (West Midlands)

Essentials to Sensory Integration Intervention by Dr Theresa May-Benson

Niamh Donnelly

Clinical Director
Principal Occupational Therapist
Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • Graduated From

University of Ulster, Jordanstown (Northern Ireland) – Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy).

  • Past Work Experience

Niamh graduated from the University of Ulster with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and has been living in Singapore for over 9 years. During this time, she has worked within a number of private clinics in Singapore, her roles include Clinic Manager of a centre based extensive MDT team and Lead Principal Occupational Therapist at Thomson Paediatric Centre. Niamh has vast Paediatric clinical experience working both in Ireland and Singapore. During Niamh’s practice she has worked with children with multiple developmental and physical needs. Niamh has clinically managed a caseload ranging in age, from infants to teenagers and young adults. This caseload has presented with various clinical needs including sensory processing difficulties, feeding challenges and various motor and learning challenges. Niamh is focused on a holistic therapy approach with a therapeutic focus on supporting a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. Niamh has conducted a number of presentations and trainings in Singapore at the SENIA and early childhood conferences, alongside various international/local schools, and polytechnics. Niamh has also provided a number of parent trainings and workshops.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Niamh believes that children, parents, and paediatric providers must work together as a team to provide excellent paediatric healthcare. To ensure that children are provided with the best care possible, it is her passion to remain current with the latest paediatric developments and approaches to children’s health.

  • Training and Certification

Ayres Sensory Integration

Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT)

Certified DIRFloortime Provider

SOS feeding

Beckman Oral Motor

MORE Feeding

Reflex integration

Rhythmical Movement Training

Learn to Play (Karen Stagnetti)

Interactive Metronome

Therapeutic Listening

Trauma Informed Intervention

Attention Autism

DMI Certified

Celine Goh

Administrator

Ferah Feyzan Turen

Administrator

Samuel Chi

Speech and Language Therapy Team Lead (EIP)

  • Graduated From

University of Sydney -Master of Speech Language Pathology

Nanyang Technological University- Bachelor of Arts (Honors), Linguistics and Multilingual Studies

  • Past Work Experience

Samuel is an AHPC registered Speech-Language Therapist who believes that therapeutic success requires the harmonious teamwork of the therapist, caregiver, and the community. Following his Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Multilingual studies, he was awarded a postgraduate scholarship from the Ministry of Health to read Speech and Language Pathology at University of Sydney.

He has worked in a variety of settings across a wide range of populations in Singapore and Australia. Prior to joining KidsFirst, he worked in acute and community hospitals, providing assessment and intervention for clients with swallowing and communication difficulties. He is adept at treating language, speech, social and cognitive communication disorders and has also provided services at preschools, paediatric clinics and early intervention centres. These experiences have helped Samuel develop a broader understanding of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds that are involved in providing holistic speech therapy services.

In his time with public healthcare, Samuel spearheaded a national campaign that addressed the need for the provision of modified diets in the community. This pioneer campaign was publicly launched with media coverage and allowed Samuel to work with different community stakeholders to better understand their needs.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Samuel believes in creating a fun, child-centered therapeutic environment and is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to work on goals that are meaningful to his clients. He provides therapy in English and Mandarin.

Outside of work, Samuel enjoys spending time with his children and strength training.

  • Training and Certification

Fully Registered Speech-Language Therapist

Certified Clinical Supervisor with Allied Health Professional Council

Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT) Technique

Signing Exact English Stage 1

Hanen: More Than Words

Play Project

McNeil Dysphagia Therapy (MDTP)

Lee Silverman Voice Therapy (LSVT LOUD)

Fundamentals of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

DIRFloortime® 101

Dynamic Temporal & Tactile Cueing (DTTC) for Speech Motor Learning

Enhancing Early Language and Literacy Skills with Read It Again!

Hanen: It Takes Two to Talk

Anita Fox

Curriculum Co-ordinator
Senior Special Education Teacher

  • Graduated From

Liverpool John Moores University – Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Primary – with SEN)

University of Ulster (Northern Ireland) – Bachelor of Science in Sports Coaching

  • Past Work Experience

Anita graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Over her career, Anita has taught in various settings of Educational needs in England and Australia. For the last three years, Anita had been based in an Autistic Specialist School in Melbourne.

 
  • Philosophy to Working with Children
Anita believes every child can build a love for learning and become independent lifelong learners. She uses a student-centred approach and works closely with families to help children reach their goals and their full potential.

Niamh Donnelly

Clinical Director
Director of Operations
Principal Occupational Therapist
Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner

  • Graduated From

University of Ulster, Jordanstown (Northern Ireland) – Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy).

  • Past Work Experience

Niamh graduated from the University of Ulster with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and has been living in Singapore for over 9 years. During this time, she has worked within a number of private clinics in Singapore, her roles include Clinic Manager of a centre based extensive MDT team and Lead Principal Occupational Therapist at Thomson Paediatric Centre. Niamh has vast Paediatric clinical experience working both in Ireland and Singapore. During Niamh’s practice she has worked with children with multiple developmental and physical needs. Niamh has clinically managed a caseload ranging in age, from infants to teenagers and young adults. This caseload has presented with various clinical needs including sensory processing difficulties, feeding challenges and various motor and learning challenges. Niamh is focused on a holistic therapy approach with a therapeutic focus on supporting a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. Niamh has conducted a number of presentations and trainings in Singapore at the SENIA and early childhood conferences, alongside various international/local schools, and polytechnics. Niamh has also provided a number of parent trainings and workshops.

  • Philosophy to Working with Children

Niamh believes that children, parents, and paediatric providers must work together as a team to provide excellent paediatric healthcare. To ensure that children are provided with the best care possible, it is her passion to remain current with the latest paediatric developments and approaches to children’s health.

  • Training and Certification

Ayres Sensory Integration

Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT)

Certified DIRFloortime Provider

SOS feeding

Beckman Oral Motor

MORE Feeding

Reflex integration

Rhythmical Movement Training

Learn to Play (Karen Stagnetti)

Interactive Metronome

Therapeutic Listening

Trauma Informed Intervention

Attention Autism

DMI Certified

Find out more