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Just like her clients, no two days are the same for Yvonne Lee, 32, Psychologist at MINDS IDEA Employment Development Centre (MINDS IEDC). Yvonne’s interest in special needs was first ignited by serving in a church ministry for adults with intellectual disabilities. She realised the importance of understanding individual learning styles and creating an inclusive community for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PWIDs) to thrive in, which steered her towards a career in MINDS after graduation.
“Every person – with or without special needs – is unique. While persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have certain shared characteristics, they are not all the same. Each individual has different interests, needs, and ways of communicating”, shared Yvonne.
Yvonne joined MINDS IDEC eight years ago as a fresh graduate from the National University of Singapore. Since then, her career has been one of continuous learning. In 2020, she graduated from the Foundation in Autism Studies. The certification course is a collaboration between MINDS and Griffith University to enhance ASD-readiness in MINDS schools, centres and programmes.
MINDS IDEC offers Supported Employment programmes that provide fulfilling employment and training opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities. The Centre also offers a variety of vocational training and independent living programmes to help individuals realise their potential and aspirations. In addition, its Lifelong Learning Programme enables the development of essential life skills, such as interpersonal, psycho-social, and work-execution skills, for successful economic integration into society.
Learn more about Yvonne’s career journey, how the Foundation in Autism Studies course has shaped her, and more!
Yvonne Lee, 32, Psychologist, is part of the dedicated team of Allied Health Professionals at MINDS IDEA Employment Development Centre.
Every person, with and without 'special needs', is unique.
While persons with ASD have certain shared characteristics, they are not all the same,
and each individual has different interests, needs, and ways of communicating
Please share more about your role and responsibilities at MINDS?
As a Psychologist with MINDS IEDC, my main responsibility is to support clients in key areas like emotional regulation, social skills, dealing with transitions, and their mental well-being. This is done in both individual client sessions and group programmes.
Every client is different and we seek to maximise their unique potential with the right training and development. To facilitate the on-boarding of new clients and enable them to receive the appropriate services for their needs, I review admission interviews and reports, monitor student attachments and write referrals to different organisations. For example, this could be referrals to a day activity centre or for mental health assessments.
Besides working with clients, I also work closely with their caregivers, staff and external stakeholders for a holistic understanding of their needs to plan the right interventions. We recognise that caregiver support is very important and strive to engage and involve them in the development journey.
In addition, I also conduct training for caregivers, staff and external stakeholders to understand our clients with intellectual disabilities better and how to support them. I plan to broaden this with training sessions on ASD-readiness to provide a better understanding and awareness of the condition. This will cover key areas, such as the characteristics of ASD, identifying triggers and strategies to manage common behaviours.
For example, some clients can experience anxiety and display signs of aggression when there is a lack of structure, changes in the environment or routine. With a better understanding of how clients interact with the environment and identifying these triggers early, we are able to create a conducive environment and mitigate these situations.
What was your experience working with clients with ASD before the Foundation in Autism Studies Course?
Prior to the year-long course, my knowledge was largely theoretical about the characteristics of autism. Conceptually, I was aware that behaviour is a form of communication, and challenging behaviours are often a way of expressing discomfort – from the interaction between a person’s characteristics and the environment.
Honestly, there were times I felt that I could not fully understand clients with ASD or their needs adequately, especially when our quieter clients displayed sudden adverse changes in behaviour.
While I took environmental factors and strategies into consideration, I think there was this subconscious goal to “change” the person, instead of changing the environment.
Yvonne graduated from the Foundation in Autism Studies (Certificate) Course, a collaboration between MINDS and Griffith University to enhance ASD-readiness in MINDS. [Photo taken before Covid-19]
How did the Foundation in Autism Studies Course benefit you and change the way you work?
The course has definitely deepened my understanding of Autism, and made a subtle – but significant – difference in how I regard and interact with clients. I’m glad our then-Acting Head of Psychology Dr Vimallan Manokaran, nominated me for it!
The course also enabled me to develop an increased awareness on environmental interaction. Many of our clients interact with the external environment in a highly-sensitive manner and process emotions internally. It is important to be mindful of minor changes, as these could be unseen triggers that bring about a change in behaviour.
For example, we had a client who showed unusual behaviour by shouting and hitting the table during a session. We subsequently realised this was impacted by the presence of a peer. Things improved after we facilitated their positive interaction.
Fundamentally, the course showed me a different way of looking at Autism. For example, the dichotomy between the medical and social models of disability was something new. This made me more self-aware and intentional in my interactions, especially when sharing with others about the need to create conductive environments for our clients to thrive in.
Lastly, it has broadened my perspective with empathy. Now when challenging behaviours arise, I remind myself to look beyond the situation and seek first to understand the underlying reasons, co-occuring and environment factors contributing to it. This understanding makes it easier to remain calm and be compassionate.
What were your key learning points and takeaways from the Course?
The course has enabled me to better meet the diverse needs of our clients at MINDS IEDC. There are three main points I keep in mind:
- Understand – Always seek to understand an individual’s autism profile first, including his/her characteristics and sensory profile, the environmental risk factors, and how these three aspects interact together.
- Utilise – Utilise functional behaviour analysis and various sources of information to come up with a behaviour intervention plan.
- Input – Providing the right input is important to create the right environment for new clients with autism to thrive in. This input also enables us to create a more conductive layout and setup for new MINDS IEDC Units, especially in cases where clients with ASD require higher support needs.
How would this Foundation in Autism Studies Course benefit people who are keen to learn more about ASD?
This course provides a deeper understanding of Autism and what affects behaviour. More importantly, it gives one an opportunity to review personal assumptions, and a good starting point on what to do when faced with challenging behaviours.
Our clients will definitely benefit from being in an ASD-ready environment, where staff are equipped with both theoretical know-how and practical application.
Personally, while it is challenging to work and study at the same time while juggling life commitments, it is a highly-rewarding experience. Beyond learning to meet special needs better, you get to learn more about yourself and society too!
As MINDS celebrates its 60th anniversary, we encourage a deeper understanding of intellectual disability and autism among the community.
MINDS provides a holistic environment and inclusive environment for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability, and is committed to advancing the skills and knowledge of our staff. Learn more about MINDS Employment Development Centres here.
Find out more about career opportunities with MINDS here, and more about our collaboration with Griffith University here.
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