Thread by @journalautism

Newly published research by Emeline Han from @CRAE_IOE, @MelisaMJTan, @LauraMayCrane, and @legidoquigley exploring autism services and supports in Singapore from the perspectives of service providers, autistic adults, and caregivers.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…

A thread [1/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley As very little research has been conducted on autism services and supports in Singapore, this qualitative study aimed to explore the topic to guide future studies and service improvements. [2/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley We interviewed 12 service providers and 9 service users (5 autistic adults and 4 caregivers of autistic children) to find out their views and experiences of autism services and supports in Singapore. [3/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley Overall, both service providers and users reported substantial growth in the availability of autism services in Singapore, although they highlighted a gap in services for autistic adults and their caregivers (e.g. employment support, residential care, respite care). [4/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley Some differences were found between service providers and users in terms of how approachable, accessible, affordable, adequate, and acceptable they thought current services were in meeting the needs of autistic individuals and their families. [5/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley Importantly, our participants (especially autistic adults) told us that beyond improving autism-specific services, they also hoped to see more flexible supports in an inclusive environment and a broader change towards more positive societal attitudes. [6/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley Our findings emphasize that autism service provision should be informed by autistic voices and not only focus on ‘deficits’ but recognize the strengths of autistic people alongside their very real needs. [7/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley This is the first qualitative study to explore how different stakeholders perceive autism services and supports in Singapore, and much larger-scale research is needed to evaluate the provision and use of services in the country. [8/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley We hope that this paper will lead to more autism research in Singapore that involves a more balanced input from both experts by profession and experts by lived experience. [9/9]

@CRAE_IOE @MelisaMJTan @LauraMayCrane @legidoquigley Here’s a link to the paper again - thank you to @MelisaMJTan for writing this thread!

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…