SINGAPORE \u2013 A new school for students with autism and intellectual disability will start operating in June at the former site of APSN Chaoyang School<\/span><\/a> in Ang Mo Kio.<\/p>\n It will admit only autism spectrum disorder-intellectual disability (ASD-ID) students, unlike the APSN\u2019s four other schools, which serve students with intellectual disability. <\/p>\n The new school will include elements to meet the needs of students with autism. For example, class sizes will be smaller and educators will use more visual support structures such as charts. <\/p>\n APSN Education Services board chairman Anthony Fok said the organisation has seen a rising number of ASD-ID students, attributing it to earlier detection and parents becoming more aware of intervention options.<\/p>\n \u201cTo move into this area, we needed to train our staff. We have gone on learning journeys to other SPED (special education) schools to learn the best practices from them, and we\u2019re also thankful that they are willing to share,\u201d said Dr Fok.<\/p>\n He was speaking to The Straits Times on April 10 at APSN\u2019s 50th anniversary celebration, which was held at Marina Bay Sands. APSN was formerly known as the Association for Persons with Special Needs. <\/p>\n The new school will begin as a programme with 50 Primary 1 pupils in 2026, and take in a batch of similar size in 2027. When fully established, it will support students aged between seven and 18.<\/p>\n It is the first of three new SPED schools<\/span><\/a> slated to open by the early 2030s to cater to an increasing number of students diagnosed with ASD-ID in Singapore. The other two will be set up by the Autism Association (Singapore) and St Andrew\u2019s Autism Centre. <\/p>\n The three new SPED schools were announced in March by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun Alhabsyi during the debate on the Ministry of Education\u2019s (MOE) budget.<\/p>\n Intellectual disability is characterised by difficulties in problem-solving, abstract thinking and planning, whereas autism is defined mainly by having issues with social integration and communication, and repetitive behaviour. Students with ASD-ID have a combination of these issues.<\/p>\n APSN\u2019s four schools, which serve a total of over 1,300 students between the ages of seven and 21, are currently operating at \u201cnear full capacity\u201d, Dr Fok said.<\/p>\n APSN Chaoyang School and APSN Tanglin School started sharing a new site in Ang Mo Kio in January, which brought their primary and secondary school students together on one campus.<\/p>\n By the early 2030s, SPED schools in Singapore will be able to serve a projected 12,000 students, up around 30 per cent from 9,000 currently, said Dr Syed Harun.<\/p>\n MOE said students with autism now make up the largest group among those with special educational needs, and the quick increase in incidence rates of autism with intellectual disability is in line with global trends.<\/p>\n Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Social and Family Development\u00a0Eric Chua noted at the APSN celebration that Singapore is at the mid-point of the Enabling Masterplan 2030, which was launched in 2022. Earlier editions of the masterplan focused on the first 18 years of life for persons with disabilities (PWDs). Attention has now turned to life beyond this milestone, said Mr Chua. <\/p>\n