Events

At the Robotics workshop, learn how to build robots and programme it to move in a variety of ways. Students will learn how to construct and build secure robots using the LEGO mindstorms set, and will be introduced to basic Robolab programming. By the end of the workshop, students will be able to programme their robot to move forwards and backwards, and also know the methods to turn it around. Infra-red transmission will also be covered.

SPD is jointly organizing two workshops on Sensory Modulation with Dynamics OTC Pte Ltd – a therapy centre for kids, and Zee School – a preschool and kindergarten that provides inclusive education program. Targeting parents, educators, therapists, psychologists and medical professional, the workshops will be conducted by visiting experts Dr. Orit Goldenberg Bart and Mrs Gila Rabinovich from Israel who have extensive experience and specialize in working with infants and premature babies in pediatric rehabilitation setting.

We would like to seek your assistance to disseminate the course information to your staff and parents who may benefit from this course.

Workshop for Professionals:

Title : Solving the Sensory Modulation Riddle: Beyond Sensory Integration
Date : 30 – 31 March 2006 (Thursday and Friday)
Time : 9.00am – 5.15pm

Workshop for Parents and Teachers:

Title : Solving the Sensory Modulation Riddle: Beyond Sensory Integration
Date : 1 April 2006 (Saturday)
Time : 2.00pm – 5.00pm

To find out more information about our work with children and youth with special needs, visit our websites at
Dynamics OTC Pte Ltd : www.dynamics.com.sg
Zee School : www.telc.com.sg

In every barrier-free environment, there would inevitably be uneven surfaces, slopes and gaps that cannot be totally eradicated. Our plans for a barrier-free environment can be augmented by the Wheelchair Enabler, a modular device that allows wheelchair users to overcome barriers in the environment independently. The launch of the Wheelchair Enabler Invention Competition will see students and other members of the public invited to submit their inventions that can help give wheelchair users greater accessibility. WBL Corporation Ltd’s Wearnes Centennial-SPD Fund will also be launched at the event. The fund will be used for various technological initiatives of the Specialised Assistive Technology Centre.

Building Bridges for Effective Communication!

The Bridge School is an educational program dedicated to ensuring that children with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities through the use of augmentative & alternative means of communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) applications. Bridge School has established an outreach program to share what is developed at the school with parents, professionals and users of AAC/AT across the world.

What:

The Bridge School team will be visiting Singapore from the 6th to the 10th of February 2006. During that time they will be conducting a series of workshops on AAC and how to empower a wide range of people to communicate effectively.

How much:

Module: SGD20.00 per module 
1 Full Day: SGD50.00 
3 Full Days: SGD100.00
5 Full Days: SGD150.00

VCF is applicable for a minimum of 1 Full Day workshop 

– up to 70% VCF for Singaporeans and PRs (pending approval)
– up to 50% VCF for non-Singaporean (pending approval)

More about the presenters

Sarah Blackstone is President and CEO of Augmentative Communication, Inc., Monterey, CA. A Speech Language Pathologist by profession she has spent many years in the field of AAC, working with both adults and children. Besides clinical practice, her experience also includes research, mentoring and pioneering in the area of AAC. She has served on the Management Team, AAC-Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centre, Board of Directors, United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) and the Board of Directors, The Bridge School, Research Program Liaison. Sarah has published numerous papers; won several distinguished awards, and has conducted many workshops, both regionally and internationally.

Anne Warrick has approximately 40 years of experience working as a Speech Language Pathologist with people with disabilities. She most recently worked at the Hugh MacMillan Children’s Centre, Toronto, Ontario. Her passion for AAC has taken her to countries where AAC is still emerging such as India, Ukraine, Poland and the Marshall Islands. She was the recipient of International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) President’s Award, 1996. She is the author of Communication without Speech, which is part of a publication series by ISAAC.

Kristen Gray is Outreach Programme Manager at the Bridge School. She has worked in a wide variety of settings including educational, medical, private practice and most recently at the Bridge School. She has clinical, hands-on experience with children with a wide range of disabilities including cerebral palsy, metabolic disorders, autism, cognitive delays and chromosomal disorders. As Bridge School Outreach Manager, Kristen coordinates many outreach programmes including the annual Building Bridges Camp, a camp for children who use AAC. Kristen has numerous publications, papers and presentations both internationally and regionally. Her presentations will focus on strategies and tools to make curriculum meaningful for people who use AAC.

Vicki Casella is Executive Director at the BRIDGE SCHOOL. She is also Professor (Emeritus) at the Dept. of Special Education, San Francisco State University. In San Francisco State University she has served in various capacities including as the Director, Center for Enhancement of Teaching and as Coordinator of Technology in Special Education. Her presentations will focus on early/ emerging communication, language, literacy and AAC

Sarah Yong is Senior Speech Therapist at the Specialised Assistive Technology Centre, Society for the Physically Disabled, Singapore. In September 2002, she was awarded the Bridge School/ ISAAC International Teacher in Residence Scholarship, where she spent a year enhancing her knowledge of AAC at the BRIDGE SCHOOL as well as networking with various experts in the field.

Prior to joining the Specialised ATC, Sarah worked for 8 years at a rehabilitation hospital, where she was instrumental in developing its AAC services. Her roles at the Specialised ATC include enabling individuals with complex communication needs to express themselves through both low tech and high tech AAC solutions. Together with the team, she also participates in public education, and research development in the area of AT/AAC. More recently, she has also played an active role in developing AAC in countries where the field is still emerging. She is current co-chair of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) Emerging AAC Nations Committee.

Workshop Schedules

282 students with physical disabilities or who have parents who are physically disabled will be receiving their bursary awards from Guest-of-Honour Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower. The bursary award is part of the SPD Education Programme that aims to ensure the holistic, physical, mental and social wellbeing of disabled students.

SPD needs to recruit volunteers for our 1st Flag Day on 12 November 2005 (Saturday). Be part of a worthy cause to help SPD raise funds for our transport service which ferries people with physical disabilities for rehabilitation, vocational training and sheltered employment daily at the SPD Ability Centre.

Get your family, friends, colleagues, classmates to come along! We need at least 2,000 volunteers for the event to be a success, so everyone counts!

Time: (Choose from 3 shifts)

1st shift – 8.00am to 1.00pm (4 hrs)
2nd shift – 12.00nn to 4.00pm (4 hrs)
3rd shift – 2.00pm to 6.00pm (4 hrs)

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) will be conducting The Bull Run 2005, a charity fun run in the financial district, on 21 October 2005 (Friday).

Fourteen charities/programmes will benefit from the funds raised from The Bull Run, of which the SPD Education Programme will be allocated 5%.

Find out the help available for your special child on 938 LIVE’s Parenting Today. Experts from SPD will discuss the services available for young children in the areas of rehabilitation, education and assistive technology in the talk show.

The launch of SPD’s Ability Enterprise sees the Sheltered Workshop, Production Workshop and Multimedia Centre coming together into one distinct and integrated operation. The Ability Enterprise aims to be the training and employment centre of choice for people with physical disabilities. With the restructuring and streamlining of resources, the Ability Enterprise is now better placed to achieve its goals of training disabled people for future employment. It has recently achieved the Certified On-The-Job Training Centre (COJTC) status, awarded by the Institute of Technical Education, which recognizes the structured on-the-job training that SPD provides for the trainees.

This workshop will equip participants on identifying needs and utilizing assistive technology to prepare the disabled person for employment. Workshop topics include the use of AT to enhance jobseeker preparation, job matching, and potential problems on the job. Personal injury and medical negligence cases will also be discussed, as well as how AT should be included in insurance claims and compensation.

The trainer, Dr Graeme Smith is the founder and Executive Director of Ability Technology, a not-for profit organisation providing areas of disability research, product testing, computer assessments and training. He is also one of our invited speakers at the AT Research Forum @ Global Entrepolis 2005 on the 26 Sept 2005.

Course Fee: S$30 (pending VCF approval)

*20% Discount on the course fee will be given to participants who registered for “Best Practices in AT Research Forum” on 26 Sep 2005. 
* 50% VCF for Singaporeans & PRs 
* 30% VCF for non-Singaporeans
*VCF is also available to members of SPA, SHAS & SAOT

Please fax back registration forms to us at 6323 7008 or mail to:
The Specialised ATC
The Society for the Physically Disabled
SPD Ability Centre
2 Peng Nguan Street
Singapore 168955