ST. ANDREW'S AUTISM CENTRE COMMUNITY BUILDING PROJECT
Creating opportunities for Persons with Autism to engage in community life and build relationships
The SAAC Community Building Project is a two-year pilot initiative designed to address social isolation of Persons with Autism (PWAs) by creating safe and meaningful opportunities for them to engage in community life within their neighbourhood.
We curate activities based on shared interests, such as art and food, that act as a platform for building relationships. During these activities, the emphasis is on understanding the individual beyond their autism.
This pilot is envisioned with a long-term perspective, aiming to foster friendships and a shared sense of humanity that will encourage communities to care and journey together through life.
Issue at Hand
SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF PWAs
1. SOCIAL ISOLATION OF PWAs
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PWAs struggle to integrate into society due to difficulties with communication, understanding social cues, and sensory sensitivities – and it often persists into adulthood.
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The community lacks clear pathways to learn how to effectively connect with, support, and engage with PWAs, hindering social inclusion.
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2. STIGMA AND SOCIETAL PERCEPTION
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Societal discomfort toward persons with autism (PWAs) still persists. Awareness alone is insufficient to bridge the gap.
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Increasing contact, fostering personal familiarity & providing the right platform for interaction can facilitate meaningful social integration.
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3. CARE SECTOR BURNOUT
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Caregivers, educators, coaches, trainers, & social enterprises who support PWAs are facing burnout.
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Innovation and community support is required to lighten their load.
Project Highlights
PHASE 1: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
To lighten the load of caregivers and educators, we started with innovation.
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For two years, our team joined their cooking classes twice a week with the aim of improving the cooking class curriculum at SAAC’s Day Activity Centre (DAC), increasing the quality of the learning experience of clients and improving operations to reduce unnecessary workload for the SAAC coaches.
Our scope of work included:
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Curriculum Frame & Design: Co-creating with the coaches a client-focused curriculum. This includes recipe design to anchor class objectives.
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Operations & Admin: Improving operations to increase the stability of the curriculum and improve the workload of coaches, thereby allowing space to further optimise the Coach's role and efficacy.
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Impact Tracking:
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Impact on Clients
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Impact on Coaches
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Budget Tracking: Understanding the impact of more resources allocation to this programme.
PHASE 2: VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT
To reduce social stigma and discomfort towards PWAs, we found that it is crucial to create more opportunities for people to have direct interaction and to build relationships and familiarity with PWAs in a facilitated space.
Our team crafted a 16-Week Volunteer Engagement Programme that focused on developing high-quality relationships between community members (the volunteers) and the clients. We also prepared volunteers to be the bridge between the clients and the wider community during Community Engagement Events.
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By the end, the volunteers grown to built relationships with the SAAC clients and become familiar with their unique individual personalities. They had experienced transformation at an individual level – cognitively, affectively and behaviourally.
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“When you meet one person with Autism, you’ve met one person with Autism” – Dr Stephen Shore
PHASE 3: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Volunteer Programme ended off with two community engagement events with residents in SAAC’s neighbourhood in collaboration with the Residents’ Network. Each SAAC class was brought to participate in a community engagement event, which had activities and a community potluck that the clients will contribute to. the
Building on Phase 2, the event was led by our volunteers who had become advocates.
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They shared vulnerably about their personal journey of befriending the SAAC clients, becoming familiar with each of them, and the shifts in their perspectives that they experienced.
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They also acted as a bridge between the SAAC clients and the residents, helping to facilitate interactions (e.g. answering questions about why a client may react in a specific manner).
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Many members of the community were touched by their interactions with the clients. Some grew in empathy for the clients, concerned about their future and their well-being; others had a newfound respect towards caregivers of PWAs.
For the clients, it was also the first time they had activities outside of SAAC and had so much interaction with members of the public. Many of them were excited to socialise with others and the coaches also saw them respond positively.
“I am truly amazed with the work that Solve does. The team spends an exorbitant amount of time with our clients. They didn’t just see it as a project – they’re truly investing their time to support the clients.
Solve n+1 has played an integral role in strengthening our domestic science programme, elevating it from what we had in the past. With their dedicated staff working closely with ours, they coached my staff through the programme, increasing the efficiency of our sessions with our clients, all while catering to clients’ needs, preferences and uniqueness. This has been nothing short of amazing. The team is highly invested in seeing best outcomes for both our clients and staff, this is evident by their levels of engagement, additional hours spent and ultimately timely detailed reports on progress and impact.
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The Solve n+1 team is a blessing to us. I’m grateful to have found the right partner.”
Malkeith Singh
Head of Adult Autism Services (non-residential),
St. Andrew’s Autism Centre