2018 SAAC Visit
On 12 December 2017, NTU Psychology Society once again got in touch with the staff at St. Andrew’s Autism Centre and organised a tour there. Students learnt more about what SAAC does, the various volunteering & internship opportunities available, and even got the opportunity to take a look at their Day Activity Centre.
2017 SAAC Visit
NTU Psychology Society recently organized a visit to the St. Andrew’s Autism Centre which includes a tour and career talk on Tuesday, 23 May 2017, commencing at 1400 at the St. Andrew’s Autism Centre, and ending at 1530. A maximum number of 40 was imposed on the size of the group. However, as many students might either be overseas or have other work commitments during the summer break, the registration for the visit was at 19, with a final attendance of 18 students.
Upon arrival, the students were led to a function room by Mr Benedict Wang, Assistant Manager of Admin & Development at SAAC. The visit started with an opening talk given by Mr Benedict Wang and an overview of the timeline of the visit. After which, a group photo was taken near the main entrance of the centre, before the students were split into two groups and brought around the centre through a guided tour.
During the tour, the students were introduced to the Chapel of Christ Our Hope, a spiritual platform for the work of the SAAC’s Chaplaincy team, and an inclusive community for families with members with autism to come alongside other families in fellowship. In addition, students were brought around the premises of the Day Activity Centre (DAC), which includes separate classrooms for high-support and higher functioning clients, and the daily living room (DLR) where daily living skills are being taught and practised. Each class consists of about 6 to 7 clients, attached to 3 coaches, and each classroom was arranged in a unique layout suitable for the class it accommodates. As the centre aims to transit towards greater specialized training, vocational training rooms such as the art room, the production room, and the horticultural classroom were also being introduced, each with different training facilities.
After the tour, the students gathered back at the function room for a presentation by Mr Bart. The presentation covered the structure, activities, and services provided by SAAC, followed by a brief introduction on autism, including its symptoms, ways of interacting with people with autism, and the impacts that the condition can have on family members. A platform to sign up as a volunteer for the St. Andrew’s Autism School and the DAC was also being showed.
Thereafter, Mr Bart handed the time over to two coaches, who each shared with the students on their personal experiences of the work at SAAC, which included the working culture, training and development opportunities (e.g. Autism Society Conference, training by IBCCES), routine tasks, and specific encounters. After their sharing, the visit was concluded by Mr Benedict Wang at 1530, who shared on the details and application process of the internship program offered by SAAC.