From the outset, Ms Yap Wai Ching’s positive energy draws people to her. The senior learning support educator — and winner of the 2023 ECDA Outstanding Early Intervention Professional Award — has an effervescent personality, with the ability to build rapport and effectively liaise between preschool teachers, parents and children who need additional support.
Ms Yap is part of the team running the Development Support and Learning Support (DS-LS) programme at SPD, an organisation serving people of all ages with physical, sensory and learning disabilities. Her role involves screening children and conducting early intervention sessions in preschools for those with mild learning difficulties, speech and language delays, and behavioural issues.
SETTING ATTAINABLE GOALS
Ms Yap begins by observing a child across various preschool routines and discussing this with the educators and parents. She then develops an Individualised Education Plan (IEP) tailored to the child’s needs, challenges and motivations. Ms Yap works closely with teachers, providing regular updates after each intervention session and offering in-class support to guide the child during lessons.
For instance, one child struggled with reading and forming letters correctly. Ms Yap used tools such as magnetic letters to teach consonant blends (e.g. “flat”, “draw”), and a sand tray for the child to trace letters with her index finger. As the sessions progressed, the child’s writing and spelling skills improved, enabling her to write simple sentences.
During intervention sessions, Ms Yap Wai Ching uses toys and visual cues to engage and motivate children.
Another child struggled with spatial concepts (e.g. “beside”, “behind”) and sequence words (e.g. “first”, “next”, “last”). Ms Yap used toys to demonstrate the spatial relationships between concrete objects. Together with the teacher, they guided the child in arranging picture cards according to a story’s sequence. At home, the child’s parents reinforced this learning by using visual cues to describe a series of actions (e.g. her morning routine). Following the intervention, the child gradually improved her understanding and response to two-step verbal instructions.
