Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect movement, muscle tone, or posture. While there is currently no cure for CP, there are many interventions, therapies, and services that can alleviate and support children with the condition. Here at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), we support more than 450 infants and children ranging from 6 months-18 years old with CP or multiple disabilities. Every one of our students has a unique condition profile that requires a customised support plan involving numerous Special Education Educators, Allied Health Professionals, and trained staff. In this article, we will be sharing how your donation can help us realise our vision of empowering children with CP or multiple disabilities to realise their full potential and lead fulfilled, dignified lives.
Support our programmes and services:
At CPAS, we believe in providing a comprehensive and well-rounded support programme for all our children with cerebral palsy or multiple disabilities. All our students will receive support from our early intervention services, physiological and occupational therapies, psychology, speech & language pathology, and much more. These services are supported by state-of-the-art technologies and equipment that can greatly improve and speed up our students’ progress.
In addition, many of our children require support from CPAS over decades, eventually transitioning to our adult services like sheltered workshops and day activity centres. Your donation ensures that these children can continue their therapies and treatment over a longer period, improving their short and long-term health prospects.
Fund assistive technologies
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a difficult condition, often preventing our students from enjoying the same pleasures of life as their peers. Assistive technologies are one way we give our students the chance to experience and learn like mainstream students, giving them more autonomy and agency as they progress through life.
Your donation could help us purchase mobility aids that allow our students to move independently. Some common mobility aids that our students use include leg braces, motorised wheelchairs, and kaye walkers. Moreover, all our mobility aids must be customised and modified to fit each student, ensuring that the equipment is used properly and safely.
We also invest in speech-generating devices that greatly help our non-verbal children. These can be low-tech solutions like Alternative and Augmentative Communication cards, or high-tech solutions like iPads and assistive switches. It is frustrating for our children whenever they are unable to express themselves clearly, and these solutions help them improve their confidence when communicating with others. Many of our classrooms and spaces are also modified to include voice-activated technologies like Google Home, allowing our students to participate in their classroom management like adjusting lights and opening doors. This improves their self-esteem and shows them that they can still contribute in many ways despite their condition.
Supporting advocacy efforts:
Our children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and multiple disabilities are often not well supported by the wider community. Although progress has been made, there is a general lack of awareness and contact with children with disabilities in Singapore. Your donation can help CPAS advocate for our children and improve their chances of integrating with the mainstream community. For example, CPAS does regular presentations in mainstream schools in Singapore to share about our students and cerebral palsy. By promoting understanding and acceptance of the condition, advocacy efforts can help children with cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities to feel more included and valued in their daily lives. We also advocate for job placements for our students in the service, tourism, and F&B industries, giving them opportunities to earn their own money and satisfaction from their jobs.
In this article, we have shown you some examples of how your donation can help our children with cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities. Donors like yourself form the foundation on which CPAS has supported our students for more than 65 years. If you feel compelled to support us today, please donate here.
Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children with cerebral palsy and their families.