Transforming disabilities into abilities
Caregivers play an important role in providing care, support and encouragement. But it takes a special person to go beyond, to create an inclusive and empowering environment for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PWIDS), and ensure the right support systems are in place for them to thrive.
For Shamini Nambiar, (41), Manager of MINDS Raintree Special Student Care Centre (Raintree SSCC), it was about stepping up with love and compassion, to make a difference for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and special needs.
Raintree SSCC is a before-and-after school student care centre for students aged 7 to 18. It offers a structured educational programme to enhance daily living and community living skills, with fun, engaging activities to foster a joy for life-long learning.
Today, Shamini oversees the day-to-day running and operations of two centres, where she handles operational functions, administrative duties and in-house training needs, while rallying the staff, students and volunteers together to create a supportive and nurturing environment.
Foundation in Autism Studies doubled my exposure and understanding of autism and co-occurring conditions, such as language delays and epilepsy.
Caregivers play an important role in providing care, support and encouragement. But it takes a special person to go beyond, to create an inclusive and empowering environment for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PWIDS), and ensure the right support systems are in place for them to thrive.
For Shamini Nambiar, (41), Manager of MINDS Raintree Special Student Care Centre (Raintree SSCC), it was about stepping up with love and compassion, to make a difference for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and special needs.
Raintree SSCC is a before-and-after school student care centre for students aged 7 to 18. It offers a structured educational programme to enhance daily living and community living skills, with fun, engaging activities to foster a joy for life-long learning.
Today, Shamini oversees the day-to-day running and operations of two centres, where she handles operational functions, administrative duties and in-house training needs, while rallying the staff, students and volunteers together to create a supportive and nurturing environment.
Reimagining A Better,
Kinder World
Learning at MINDS Raintree Special Student Care Centres (Raintree SSCC)
The skills and knowledge gleaned from the course have proven invaluable at Raintree SSCC. In addition to the Centre’s interactive, thematic-based learning approach, Shamini and her team also developed an ASD Curriculum to reinforce positive behaviours and manage challenging behaviours in a holistic manner.
This curriculum is anchored on four key pillars – Communication, Environment, Giving Information and Supporting Positive Behaviours – aimed at helping students participate as fully as possible in the classroom and beyond.
For example, students are taught to respect boundaries and personal space, express their non-verbal cues in a constructive way, and make eye contact during interactions with peers and adults.
This enables the well-rounded development of students, while nurturing their interests and talents, and maximising their potential in a highly-visual, experiential environment.
As MINDS celebrates its 60th anniversary, we would like to encourage a deeper understanding of intellectual disability and autism among the community, especially in caregivers.
MINDS provides a holistic environment and inclusive curriculum for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability, and is committed to advancing the skills and knowledge of our teachers and staff. Learn more about MINDS Schools here.
Find out more about starting a career in Special Education here and career opportunities with MINDS here, and more about our collaboration with Griffith University here.
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