STORY PREVIEW

- Classmates mistreating another classmate with autism. Not knowing how to be inclusive to people that are different from you. - Lack of awareness of how to support when a classmate has a meltdown. - Many people with disabilities in school but not enough ramps or accessible areas. - A lot of disadvantaged families and people that don’t have enough support.

This project was inspired by a classmate of ours. We felt that he was being excluded at certain points in time due to his special needs and observed how he responded to these exclusions. We then wanted to create awareness about the problems that students with autism face and help to support organisations who are actively trying to integrate students with autism into society.

Classmates/Schoolmates that have autism often face misunderstandings when interacting with classmates or may not even have friends within their respective classes. We originally wanted to find out more about how they could support him in the classroom but realised that with more special needs students in schools, there was a greater need to raise awareness both about the misconceptions of autism but also how to best support students and classmates who have it. We were also concerned how the school’s stakeholders - including students, teachers and AEDs/counsellors, supported special needs students and how much these stakeholders knew about autism specifically.

Holding a talk in class by inviting Autism Association Singapore Go to Eden School to learn more about their struggles Talk to the public about autism and raise awareness about what it is and how to be more inclusive Create posters and spread awareness around the school Run a fundraiser that will donate the funds raised to Autism Association Singapore Interview students with special needs in school and share it during assembly Teach the class how to better interact with the classmate who has special needs Educate schoolmates through a talk or video about how to comfort or support when a child with special needs has a meltdown. Carry out a survey to find out current misconceptions and biases of students who have special needs

We chose to combine a few solutions. We first conducted a survey with their classmates to find out more about the misconceptions and hidden biases that they had toward the classmate that had special needs. We also interviewed our classmate with special needs to find out more about how he felt. We then decided to raise awareness about what autism is and to address the misconceptions of autism by sharing it with schoolmates. As they were unable to visit Eden School, they still wanted to do their part and contribute to the training and classes that Autism Association Singapore (AAS) conducts for the classes. They decided to then run a fundraiser to raise funds using items they have made.

Invited Autism Association Singapore (AAS) to set up a booth in the school. They were unable to make it and decided to send us some resources to share. Conducted survey with the class and analysed the results Prepared a presentation to share findings with the class and raise awareness about how they can be more informed and inclusive Group prepared handmade items for fundraiser Group conducted fundraiser and advocated for Autism Association Singapore during the fundraiser

We managed to start conversations in their class about how they treat people who are different from them, particularly students with special needs. We also managed to inspire their class to carry out a larger scale project (through our class’ Values-in-Action Project) to advocate for people with disabilities and how to best support them. The fundraiser raised $684 for Autism Association Singapore (AAS), and shared about what Autism is about and how to better support their schoolmates when they have a meltdown. Our fundraiser was the first of its kind in our school, and we inspired other groups to also use this platform to both raise funds and awareness about their causes.

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I am Diyanah from the fundraising team at AA(S). Thanks so much for your support through raising awareness and funds at your school. We are grateful for yours and your students’ generous effort to contribute to the Association and support the cause. As for the volunteers, we are unable to deploy resources for this fundraiser as our team is pretty stretched at the moment. We do hope to collaborate with you in the future and would like to thank you once again for this initiative. (Diyanah - Autism Association Singapore Headquarters) First and foremost, I was immensely impressed by the depth of knowledge and genuine enthusiasm displayed by these students. They were not only well-informed about autism but also deeply passionate about advocating for greater support and understanding for individuals with autism. Through their presentations and discussions, I gained valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by organizations supporting people with autism. Their passion allowed me to better comprehend the importance of inclusivity and how I can contribute to creating a more inclusive society. One of the most heartwarming aspects of their project was the tremendous effort they put into creating merchandise. It was evident that their drive extended beyond awareness-raising to practical fundraising efforts. The merchandise they designed and produced not only reflected their dedication but also showcased their creative talents. This effort truly touched my heart and demonstrated their commitment to making a positive impact. I had the pleasure of purchasing a beautiful painting from the group, and I can confidently say that it was worth every cent of my $100 donation. The artwork was not only aesthetically stunning but also thoughtfully conceptualized, reflecting their deep understanding of the subject matter. It now holds a special place at my workplace, serving as a constant reminder of the incredible work they have done. During their presentations and sharing sessions, the group exuded confidence and clarity. They were well-prepared and articulate, effortlessly conveying the importance of their cause and the significance of their project. Their ability to respond to a wide range of questions with poise and depth of knowledge further underscored their dedication and commitment to the cause. Perhaps most importantly, it was heartening to see students of their age actively engaged in raising awareness about inclusivity in society. Their project serves as a beacon of hope for the future, inspiring others to follow their lead and work towards a more inclusive and compassionate society. It is my fervent hope that their efforts will continue to resonate and that our society will indeed grow stronger and more inclusive as a result. In summary, Leanne, Lydia, Michaela, and Jenny's Values in Action project on autism awareness left an indelible mark on me. Their passion, dedication, creativity, and confidence were truly commendable. I wholeheartedly support their cause and am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of their journey. They have not only raised awareness but have also inspired positive change, and I have no doubt that they will continue to make a meaningful impact in the future. (Mr Idris Chua - Teacher, Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School)

One of the biggest challenges that we encountered was figuring out the best way to contribute. We had many ideas, but a number of them were not feasible and required more people to solve them. We finally decided to find out more about the problem within the school and conduct a survey. The data collection also had its challenges. Despite us trying to encourage our classmates to complete the survey, many of them took very long to complete it. When it was finally done, we also found it difficult to interpret the data results. However, as we sieved through the data, our mentor guided us through how perceptions could be understood from the percentages. We also learnt about the importance of having both percentages (quantitative) and free response questions (qualitative) responses. Finally, creating all the items for the fundraising was challenging among the four of us. It was very time consuming to create some of the products we wanted to sell, and we had a goal of raising $500. To ensure that we had enough stock, we decided to ask our schoolmates from other classes to help us build our stock. Thankfully, a few volunteered to help us design the tote bags for the fundraiser.

MORE THAN 30 DAYS

Quality Education

We all felt that education should be available for all, just that some people need more support than others. When we researched more on what Autism Association Singapore does, we really liked that they served not only children but also adults. These trainings and classes were all meant to help support them and their families with the hope that they can be independent one day. This project also promotes inclusivity, as being inclusive starts from a young age, so that we can learn to recognise the strengths in people who are different from us.

We decided to share by putting posters up about our fundraiser in the different classrooms. Then, we raised awareness during the various level recesses by presenting to them using powerpoint slides. Every time someone came to the stall, one of our group members would share more about what our fundraiser was for. We also plan to share more about our project and our learning points and reflections as part of a larger showcase on community involvement in school in November. We shared it with our schoolmates (from Primary 3 to Primary 6), our teachers that came to support the stall, and our school leaders. They were all open to listen and were eager to support us. There were some teachers that even asked us how they could contribute even after most of the handmade goods were sold old.

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We hope that through the showcase at the end of the year, we will inspire another group to want to support people with special needs in another way. We have also built a partnership with Autism Association Singapore and hope that more students can leverage on this and serve them through their class Values-in-Action projects. We are also committed to doing our part as we go off to Secondary School, to be advocates for inclusion for all kinds of people.