Long wait times and high costs put pressure on parents whose children need early intervention

The aim is to increase spaces so that 80 per cent of children requiring moderate to high levels of intervention can receive early support by 2027, ECDA added.

This is cold comfort to Valerie Tan, a housewife and mother of three who says it is too expensive for her family to enroll her six-year-old son with cerebral palsy in a private centre.

The 44-year-old man applied for a place at EIPIC for his son when he was around six months old. He finally got a place about 1.5 years later, when he was two years old.

His condition also meant that he required constant and consistent treatment, even while awaiting a place at EIPIC.

“Every moment you wait makes a difference,” Ms Tan said.

To get her son the help he needed during this temporary period, he contacted two non-profit organizations that offer vision therapy and home physiotherapy at subsidized prices.

The family also moved to a smaller home to afford necessary therapies and the child’s equipment, such as a wheelchair, and Ms Tan found a therapist in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to save on expenses.

SHORTER WAITING TIMES, HIGHER COSTS FOR PRIVATE PROVIDERS

Faced with long wait times and concerned about the consequences of further delaying early intervention, some parents chose to enroll their children in a private alternative despite the cost.

The wait for a spot in a private setting is usually shorter (one to three months), but can also cost thousands of dollars more.

Like EIPIC, these programs support children with a variety of developmental needs, including those with mild speech delays, social or motor skills difficulties, and more complex conditions such as autism.

For example, EIPIC-P is provided by special early intervention centers appointed by ECDA.

Some centers also have lower child-teacher ratios compared to state-supported institutions.

Ms. Isabel Tromans, whose four-year-old child is on the autism spectrum, said that when she wanted to enroll her son in an early intervention program, she was told by government agencies that the estimated wait time was “between six and 28 hours.” months”.

“The clock is ticking for your child, because you realize that (intervention) needs to be done very early and the waiting list (for a public EIPIC center) is very long,” the 44-year-old speech therapist said.

“So my first thought was to get him on a private show before appearing on a public show.”

He applied to a private center in May this year and was able to start his son there when the new term started in August.

But Ms Tromans estimates she pays about S$4,000 a month to the private centre. This does not include other therapy costs, including occupational therapy.