Intellectual disability

Definitions and Scope

Target Population: People with intellectual disabilities

Intellectual disability is a developmental disorder where the individual faces more difficulty than others in grasping concepts and solving problems. The international definition for intellectual disability has three criteria:

• Significant limitations in intelligence (classified as an IQ level of 70 or below)

• Significant limitations in the skills needed to live and work in the community, including difficulties with communication, self-care, social skills, safety, and self-direction.

• Limitations in intelligence and living skills are evident in the developmental period (i.e. before the person is aged 18 years)IMH, 2012

Other? Client Segments

Intellectual Disability and Mental Health

Where there is a co-existence of mental illness and intellectual disability, accurate diagnosis and treatment are particularly challenging because of the individual's impaired cognitive abilities and attention, functional deficits, communication difficulties, and other co-morbid developmental disabilities, such as autism.IMH, 2012

For people with intellectual disability, mental disorders can seriously affect their daily functioning, disrupt family relations, and prevent access to community resources for care, training and habilitation. The mental disorder often manifests as behavioural difficulties or changes, which require a proper assessment from an inter-disciplinary team of mental health professionals, so that appropriate treatment can be given. Treatment includes the judicious use of medicines, behavioural therapy and occupational therapy. The treatment plans usually look into addressing sensory issues, improving communication skills, advising on environmental manipulation, changing maladaptive behaviour and optimising functional capabilities. IMH, 2012

Multiple Disabilities

refer to assets below

Size of the Target Population

https://www.msf.gov.sg/media-room/Pages/Number-and-profile-of-persons-with-disabilities.aspx

Desired impact for target group

• For people with intellectual disabilities to be adequately educated and prepared, so that they can be socially and economically included in Singaporean society, to be seen as part of our social landscape
• Face no discrimination socially and in the workplace

Needs of People with Intellectual Disabilities

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Employment

Need for Retirement Adequacy

There are general measures put in place for aging populations for retirement especially in Singapore, however, persons with intellectual disabilities who fall under this category are given little to no attention to better transition into retirement in terms of measures to support them financially and socially even when they are not active contributing members to the economy.

One reason is that persons with intellectual disabilities prematurely age relative to the rest of the population (around 45 years of age) which puts them under the radar for the usual age of retirement for the average Singapore. As they grow older, this makes it more difficult for them to perform tasks and continue earning a livelihood for themselves. There is little to no alternatives for this group of people in holding jobs which leads to greater negative consequences for them when this source of livelihood is gone.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998761/

[Also indicate the size of this specific need & projected demand were data is available]

Existing Resources

Workfare Income Supplement Scheme (WIS), which is a government programme, provides cash and CPF payouts to supplement wages and retirement savings of persons with intellectual disabilities. The amount given is dependent on the salary of the employee, and all persons with disabilities qualify for WIS. As the person grows older, the amount given increases up to $4,000 in 2020.

https://cityofgood.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/NVPC-PWD-Issue-Deck.pdf

https://www.dpa.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Employment-merged.compressed.pdf

http://www.workfare.sg/

Gaps and Their Causes

[Some gaps could be due to 1) capacity of solution to meet size & projected demand, 2) quality of solution (effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, scalability etc.), 3) accessibility (geographical, cost to client)]

Possible Solutions

[Based on the specific gaps and reasons for those gaps, what might be solutions that can help? Insert existing but untapped resources, or new ideas that have not been considered yet]

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Need for for employment opportunities

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Need for adequate job reskilling opportunities in volatile job markets

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

Need for [ insert description ]

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Social Engagements

Need for People with Intellectual Disabilities to be socially engaged

[Needs should not be identified in term of its specific solutions—eg youths need mentoring, seniors need hospice care, people with disabilities need day care (these are specific solutions we can be in the next column)—Instead, they should be defined in more ‘perennial terms’ because the solutions can change but the needs remain; I don’t need a CD player, or even an mp3 player, I need ‘portable music’ and currently the best solution seems to be Spotify]

[Also indicate the size of this specific need & projected demand were data is available]

Existing Resources

[e.g. existing services or programmes both private or public; relevant policies and legislation]

Gaps and Their Causes

[Some gaps could be due to 1) capacity of solution to meet size & projected demand, 2) quality of solution (effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, scalability etc.), 3) accessibility (geographical, cost to client)]

Possible Solutions

[Based on the specific gaps and reasons for those gaps, what might be solutions that can help? Insert existing but untapped resources, or new ideas that have not been considered yet]

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Need for [ insert description ]

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Resource Directory

Special Education Schools

Special Education(SPED) Schools

Mild Intellectual Disabilities

1. Metta Welfare Services

Metta School

2. Presbyterian Community Services

Grace Orchard School

3. APSN http://www.apsn.org.sg

Chaoyang School

Delta Senior School

Katong School

Tanglin School

Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

1. Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore http://www.minds.org.sg

Fernvale Gardens School

Lee Kong Chian Gardens School

Towner Gardens School

Woodlands Gardens School

Multiple Disabilities

Category of its own?

AWWA School

Rainbow Centre

Homes

1. Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled

http://info.bishanhome.org.sg

2. Adult Disability Home

Ready in 2018. Residential home in Sengkang for people with intellectual disabilities that aims to ease the worries of their ageing parents. The Straits Times, 2015

General Services

1. YMCA Singapore

2. Special Olympics Singapore

http://www.specialolympics.org.sg/about-us

3. Christian Outreach for the Handicap

http://coh.sg/services/