SEN @ St. Gabriel's Secondary 
St Gabriel’s Secondary School is one of the 15 dyslexia resourced secondary school in Singapore. It is committed to the education of dyslexic students and aims to train students to overcome individual learning differences and strives to ensure each student to achieve reasonable success in their academic and non academic programs.
At St Gabriel’s Secondary School, Mr Jeyaram, the Special Needs Officer uses a two-pronged approach, by providing in-class support during curriculum hours as well as taking the students for one to one or group sessions after curriculum hours.
Language and Literacy Programme
The after curriculum teaching mainly focuses on the Orton Gillingham Approach which is multisensory, sequential, and systematic to enhance automaticity in a student. These classes are kept small so that the students will benefit from the additional support and experience high degree of success and gains confidence as well as skill. This literacy programme focus on teaching reading, spelling and writing skills using the Orton Gillingham Approach recommended by Dyslexia Association of Singapore. This approach is language based, multisensory, structured, sequential, and cumulative thus utilizing the typically strong cognitive (thinking) skills.
With greater emphasis given to academic excellence in our education system, there is a greater responsibility on teachers and supporting staff such as Special Needs Officers to keep a student in line with the curriculum. Therefore, the programme also focuses on curriculum related teaching such as summary and composition writing. Depending on the severity of one’s special needs the teaching will differ to better enhance a student’s ability.
In Class Support
Special Needs Officer also provide in class support during curriculum hours to make available adequate support to these students. This is done so by working closely with the teachers to communicate the students’ needs and make necessary arrangements to suit the students’ learning abilities. The support mainly focus on helping students to understand the lesson content using various means such as visual aids and differentiated worksheets.
Development of other skills
Even though, St Gabriel’s Secondary was resourced with a Special Needs Officer who was specialised in Dyslexia Teaching, the school felt that equal support had to be provided for students with other needs (e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder & ADHD). It is a our belief that “No Child should be Left Behind”.
Therefore equal amount of support will be given to this group of students. The support will come in the form of skills development which can be acquired through workshops and in class support to better enhance their learning, like any other child in the school.
Collaboration with external agencies and schools
Special Needs Officer also work closely with other Special Needs Officers from various schools, Psychological Service Branch, (MOE), National Institute of Education (NIE) and other external agencies such as Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) to adapt and implement successful processes and teaching pedagogies which would benefit the staff and students of St Gabriel’s Secondary School.
On 4th September 2007, a team was formed collaboratively with three other secondary school Special Needs Officers. They are from Montfort Secondary School, ACS Barker, and St Patrick’s School. With a clear vision in mind: to enable students under our care to experience success. Therefore, we call ourselves ‘MAPS’, an acronym constructed from the names of our respective schools. The team will look into various needs of students with special needs from these schools and will work closely in designing appropriate resource materials and strategies which will aid learning for students with special needs.
The effects of a disability can be overcome largely, by the positive involvement of supportive parents, skilled specialist teaching and use of contemporary strategies. As we continue to improve our provision of educational programmes and services for our students with special needs, and mainstream school teachers getting better trained, with the tremendous will, enthusiasm and expertise of all those who are involved in providing them, coupled with the support of the government, we will be able to continuously upgrade the quality of life for all individuals with learning needs.
