Review of Early Intervention Programmes for Infants and Children to Include Subsidies for Standalone Therapies

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will review the Early Intervention Programmes for Infants and Children (EIPIC-P) to include subsidies to help parents cover standalone therapies like behavioural and speech therapy for autistic children under 12, ensuring those suspected of having developmental delays can access affordable, consistent intervention while awaiting a formal diagnosis.

Before children with developmental needs can be referred to a Government-funded early intervention programme, like the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC), or EIPIC-P, which is delivered by appointed private providers, they must first be formally assessed by a paediatrician to determine the level of early intervention support they need. This enables children to be referred to the most appropriate early intervention programme. Under these programmes, each child under six years old has an individualised education plan tailored to his developmental needs and goals. This plan is developed and regularly reviewed by early intervention professionals in consultation with Allied Health Professionals and families.

Families seeking standalone therapies beyond Government-funded programmes can tap on the Child Development Account to pay for additional early intervention services registered with the Early Childhood Development Agency.

Special education schools serving students with moderate-to-severe special educational needs are resourced with Allied Health Professionals, including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech therapists, who provide students with in-school therapeutic support. These professionals work alongside teachers to integrate therapy into daily learning activities, constructing sessions based on students' needs and their individualised education plan. Beyond direct intervention, therapists guide staff on adaptive strategies and assistive technologies, so that therapy goals can align with educational objectives to work toward independence and enable overall development.

When students with sensory and physical impairments join mainstream schools, the Ministry of Education partners agencies, such as AWWA and the Singapore Association for the Deaf, to provide roving school-based educational support services.