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A lesson on autism

Published

14 years ago

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written by B L Swee, a parent whose child is diagnosed with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder)

JY has been such a charming child. We were so taken by his good looks and funny behaviour that we never realised that something was very wrong with him. The biggest concern we had about him was the fact that he had no words. But this was easily dismissed by well-meaning people around us who assured us that they knew X, Y or Z who didn’t speak until 3 years old and then couldn’t stop talking for even a minute.

This was the beginning of our folly. We kept postponing the deadline we gave him for blurting his first word. Even as late as 22 months, we told ourselves we would consult a specialist only if he didn’t speak by his second birthday. It was as if magic would make him say his first word on the day itself.

It was not so much of denial than pure foolish ignorance that resulted in carelessness on our part. We were blind to all his tell-tale signs of autism as we did not know what autism is, nor did we ever bother to find out. We naively believed that this kind of thing could only happen to other people. We never thought it was a big deal that he was behaving so unusually:

1) he had not spoken a single word by his 18th month;

2) he did not even point or gesture to make up for his lack of speech;

3) he was totally uninterested in toys;

4) he was roaming around aimlessly most of the time;

5) he was mouthing and licking objects when there was no longer a good reason as he had already developed his full set of teeth;

6) he never waved goodbye to anyone.

7) he hardly responded when his name was called;

8) he had unusual interests in the most unlikely objects such as brushes, mops etc and would attempt to reach them at all costs;

9) he never attempted to show us something that interested him and

10) he was sometimes in deep thought with a faraway look.

We had simply assumed that it was a personality problem – that he was aloof and would open up to people when he was ready, on his own terms. We genuinely believed that JY was just going to be a late-talker.

Ironically, this is the problem that many parents face. We are a hundred times more alert to the symptoms of minor, short-term illness such as HFMD and, chicken pox than something devastating like autism which is a lifelong condition. The level of awareness amongst parents is pathetically and dangerously low for something that is widespread. (In the United States,  1 in 150 children has autism.)

How many of us really understand the purpose of sending our children for developmental check- ups? I certainly did not. I used to find it a chore to give the doctor all the answers to a checklist of milestones – I wondered why I had to pay him for merely putting ticks into the boxes. I saw the assessment as a mere scoring sheet to show how well my child was measuring up to the skills and abilities expected of a child his age. I used to think it was better to delay the assessment if he had not attained a certain skill yet. I never realised that it was a checkpoint for danger, to let us hold the bull by the horns should there be a problem.

It was a big misfortune that in our case, our family doctor thought little of developmental check-ups too. He probably thought it was more lucrative to see another 3 patients during the time he would have to read out the questions in the developmental checklist and then tick off the answers. When I asked him if we should do the assessment with JY at 18 months or hold it off, he told me not to bother if I didn’t feel there was anything wrong.

I honestly did not feel that was a problem with JY then, which set us back by another six months until he turned two. It was only then that the nagging feeling that something was not right plagued me. Yet, I could not quite pinpoint what exactly was wrong. I did not even know where to start searching on the Iinternet.It was not until we happened to meet up with a friend whose son had autism that a bell rang in our collective heads. We realised that JY shared too many similarities with my friend’s autistic son. That night, I came home with a heavy heart and I googled for “autism” on the Internet. The puzzles started to form a picture I was not ready for. The realisation came crashing down on me and I was awakened with a pain I would never forget. I already knew what to expect even before seeing the Child Developmental Specialist but when the diagnosis finally came out of her mouth, it still seemed so surreal.

For many parents like me, the date of diagnosis will always be imprinted in our minds. The day that made our lives change forever.

In sharing this, it is my earnest wish that many parents will be spared the same anguish, even if just a little. I hope with a keener sense of awareness about autism, more parents will keep a better lookout for things that truly matter. As long as there is a lingering doubt about a child’s developmental issues, parents should never wait but do a self-check on the Internet and seek consultation from a specialist as soon as possible.

Autism is not something that can be outgrown or wished away. This basic understanding is a crucial step all parents need to undertake as we brace ourselves to race against time and take on the enormous challenges ahead.

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Pro-Palestine residents call for sanctions against Israel during meet-the-people session in Punggol-West

Pro-Palestinian supporters from Punggol West engaged MP Sun Xueling at a Meet-the-People Session, urging Singapore to consider sanctions against Israel amid the ongoing crisis that has claimed at least 42,000 Palestinian lives. While Sun highlighted Singapore’s S$17 million in humanitarian aid, residents questioned the effectiveness of aid given the country’s arms trade with Israel.

Published

2 days ago

on

11 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: Marking one year since the Israeli assault on Palestine that claimed over 42,000 lives, on 7 October 2024, pro-Palestinian supporters from Punggol West gathered at a Meet-the-People Session to discuss sanctions against Israel with MP Sun Xueling.

Ms Sun highlighted Singapore’s humanitarian efforts, noting that over S$17 million (approximately US$13 million) had been directed to the region. She called the crisis a “huge human catastrophe” and advocated for an immediate ceasefire.

However, residents questioned the feasibility of a ceasefire given Singapore’s ongoing arms trade with Israel, citing the purchase of Blue Spear missiles for the Navy and the display of Israeli weapons at the Singapore Air Show.  They also pointed out that Israeli defense company Elbit Systems operates in Singapore.

Although Ms Sun was not involved in arms discussions, she promised to raise these concerns with the relevant ministries.

On 2 July 2024, Mr Leong Mun Wai, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) from the Progress Singapore Party, asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Singapore had sold any defence materials to Israel since the conflict began on 7 October 2023.

Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan responded that Singapore strictly adheres to international arms sales obligations and submits regular reports to the UN, but does not disclose specifics due to national security reasons. It should be noted that there is no embargo on arms sales to Israel.

On 18 September 2024, Singapore voted in favour of UN General Assembly Resolution A/ES-10/L.31, which called for a halt to imports from Israeli settlements and arms provisions to Israel in situations where they might be used in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Following this, NCMP Leong filed a question regarding whether Singapore would implement the resolution’s steps.

The session shifted to concerns about a broader conflict, with residents referencing Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon and Syria and questioning whether sanctions were being considered.

Ms Sun acknowledged their fears and affirmed that the crisis in Gaza was unacceptable.

When asked about sanctions, she explained that the Israel-Palestine conflict is more complex than other international issues, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, but assured residents she would relay their concerns to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Residents pressed further, questioning whether Israel’s invasion of Lebanon justified sanctions and expressing frustration about a perceived double standard in how invasions in the Middle East are treated compared to those involving predominantly white countries.

Ms Sun noted that Singapore had previously imposed sanctions in other contexts, such as during the US invasion of Grenada and Vietnam’s incursion into Cambodia, emphasizing that sanctions are not determined by ethnicity.

They also pointed out the inconsistency in Singapore’s approach, highlighting that the country only established diplomatic ties with South Africa after the end of apartheid.

Ms Sun admitted her limited knowledge of this history but promised to raise these examples with the MFA.

The session concluded with residents submitting a petition urging the government to impose sanctions on Israel.

Netizens criticize Singapore’s stance on Israel

Under a post by Monday of Palestine Solidarity on Instagram, netizens voiced their opinions on the recent dialogue between Punggol West residents and MP Sun Xueling regarding Singapore’s stance on Israel.

One user questioned Ms Sun’s knowledge of the situation in Palestine, asking, “Is she even aware of what’s happening at all?”

They argued that while Ms Sun claimed the scale of the conflict was different from the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in Palestine is actually far worse.

The user criticized her for not using accurate terms to describe the crisis, suggesting she was avoiding terms like “mass murder,” “apartheid,” “genocide,” and “ethnic extermination.”

The commenter also pointed out historical context, referencing a New York Times article from June 20, 1899, titled “Conference of Zionists in Baltimore: Will Colonize Palestine,” to emphasize the long-standing nature of the issue.

They concluded by stating, “Humanitarian aid does NOT stop the killing,” highlighting the need for stronger action.

Another user expressed frustration, calling the government’s response “absolutely unacceptable.”

They criticized Singapore for being one of the top exporters of weapons, which are “being used and tested on Palestinians,” while only offering humanitarian aid and failing to take meaningful action against Israel.

One commenter highlighted the disparity in Singapore’s response, noting that the government had immediately sanctioned Russia when the war in Ukraine began, yet after a year of violence in Palestine, no similar action had been taken against Israel.

Another user challenged the common narrative that the Israel-Palestine conflict is an ancient issue that spans thousands of years, calling it a “lazy excuse for inaction.”

They stressed that Israel has been in violation of international law since its illegal occupation of Palestine and the establishment of apartheid in 1967.

Some users expressed skepticism about Singapore’s ability to take a stronger stance. One commenter argued that Singapore depends on its Zionist allies for security, stating that any action against Israel could jeopardize the country’s safety.

They pointed to the historical ties between Singapore and Israel, particularly in building Singapore’s military, and concluded that speaking out against Israel would endanger Singapore’s security and stability.

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IMDA to probe Singtel’s island-wide landline outage of 8 October

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investigating Singtel’s island-wide landline outage on 8 October, emphasising its commitment to thoroughly examining any public telecommunications service interruption. A Singtel spokesperson described the outage as an “isolated incident,” adding that there is “no evidence to suggest it is a cyber-related event.”

Published

4 days ago

on

9 October 2024

By

On 8 October 2024, a significant landline outage affected Singtel customers across the island.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) stated that it takes any public telecommunications service interruption seriously and will investigate the incident thoroughly.

In a Facebook update at 8:25 PM on the same day, Singtel announced that its fixed voice services had been fully restored.

The telecommunications provider expressed its apologies for the disruption and the inconvenience caused to customers.

Earlier, the disruption also impacted emergency call services, affecting both the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

Members of the public experiencing difficulties reaching emergency numbers 995 or 999 were advised to send an SMS to SCDF at 70995 or SPF at 70999.

Both SPF and SCDF later reported on 7PM that the earlier disruption affecting the 995 and 999 emergency hotlines has been resolved.

The authorities assured the public that they could resume using these hotlines for emergencies and expressed gratitude for the public’s understanding during the outage.

Earlier that day, around noon, multiple users reported difficulties making calls through landlines on Singtel’s official Facebook page and X (formerly Twitter), including problems with office lines.

A check on Downdetector revealed a surge in outage reports for Singtel beginning around 2 PM, peaking at 2,781 complaints. By 5 PM, the number of reports had decreased to over 500.

According to the feedback on Downdetector, most of the problems faced by users pertain to landlines, which matches the responses from netizens on social media platforms.

Major institutions were also affected by the outage. KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), the National Cancer Centre, and Changi General Hospital (CGH), all under SingHealth, alerted the public to the disruption.

By approximately 6:30 PM, all three institutions confirmed that their telephone services had been restored.

Additionally, Singapore’s three local banks—DBS, UOB, and OCBC—reported similar issues with their customer service hotlines during the outage.

According to CNA, a spokesperson from Singtel described the outage as an “isolated incident” and stated that there is “no evidence to suggest it is a cyber-related event.”

 

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