Behavioural Support in Singapore

Singapore follows a dual educational system consisting of mainstream schools and special (SPED) schools to better cater to the diverse needs of students with varying disabilities. SPED schools were initially supported by charity organisations starting in the 1960s but later came under the collaborative governance of the Ministry of Education (MOE)–Singapore, Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWO), and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). The Singapore educational landscape has evolved significantly with the enactment of specific policy changes to accommodate the escalating prevalence of students with disabilities. Changes are observed in terms of increased funding for professional training programmes, hiring of more school personnel, and redevelopment of the schools’ infrastructure to improve service delivery for students with disabilities. Given the existing dual educational system in Singapore, this chapter describes (a) the historical and current systemic arrangements for educating students with disabilities, (b) variations in professional training provided to school personnel in behavioural supports across mainstream and SPED schools, and (c) a critical evaluation of the strengths and challenges experienced by school personnel when implementing behavioural supports in schools while highlighting future directions for research and practice that are pertinent to a multicultural context like Singapore.