CDC Stories: Path to Primary School
“Dear Enoch,
Starting primary school is a big milestone for you. We hope you will always be happy and enjoy the new learning journey.
As you grow, you will develop your own interests and talents, figure out what makes you happy and follow a path of your own choosing.
Live your life how you want to live it, not how we expected you to!
Love, Dad”
“It was a tough time when everything happened fast.” Mr Fung is a father of two sons with special educational needs(SEN). His elder son, Karsten, was diagnosed with developmental delay at the age of one and a half, while his younger son, Enoch, has a delay in social and emotional development.
Though it was difficult to accept, Mr and Mrs Fung had to face the truth nonetheless. They started to devote their energy to helping their boys seek early intervention as soon as possible, “we believe the earlier the intervention, the better the child’s growth.”
In 2013, Karsten started a weekly Chinese Early Intervention Group programme at The Child Development Centre (CDC). He worked with the teachers, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists on individual goals across all domains including cognitive, fine motor and gross motor, language and personal-social skills. In 2016, Enoch also began his programme at the CDC. After their years of learning at the CDC, Karsten and Enoch have shown significant progress in their individual development goals and remarkable improvements in their communication and social skills.
Furthermore, through the parent training provided by the CDC, Mr and Mrs Fung started to use a visual schedule to help their children reduce their anxiety and develop a positive routine of behaviour. “It was very useful! We used the tool to ask them to take off their shoes, then change their clothes. I was impressed when they achieved the tasks successfully during the first few times we used the tool!”
In the new school year, Enoch is starting his new learning journey in a mainstream primary school with his elder brother Karsten. Like most parents, Mr and Mrs Fung put a lot of effort into finding a primary school which best suited their children. “We did a lot of research about different schools, visited the campuses with our sons, etc. We were fortunate to be able to find a school environment that suits them, with teachers who are patient and understanding of students with SEN.”
However, there are often obstacles when transitioning into primary school. Looking back at Karsten’s early primary school life, it was not easy for him to adapt to the new environment. “He slammed the door and wasn’t paying attention in class. At the same time, we were fortunate to be supported by the CDC team.” says Mr Fung. The CDC’s staff members colaborated with the teachers at Karsten’s school, and shared information along with their professional experience with the teachers. With the support of the school and CDC, Karsten gradually adapted to his new school environment. Following Karsten’s experience, Mr Fung hopes Enoch can also adapt to the transition and feels, “it is more important that he has a happy school life rather than get higher grades.”
Positive attitudes do not come easy. As a father of two sons with SEN, Mr Fung shows no signs of weariness despite the challenges. “This is also a new learning journey for me. I realise every child is special, with unique strength, and we should not compare them with others. All children deserve an appropriate learning journey. It is not right to judge or blame children,” says Mr Fung. “We are grateful for CDC’s assistance and support, not only for our children but also for the parents. Now, I have learnt how to find positive strategies to manage my sons.”
We wish Enoch and his family all the best in the future and hope Karsten and Enoch will continue to succeed in their learning journeys.