St. Andrew’s Autism Centre (SAAC), a project of the Diocese of Singapore, is a comprehensive one-stop centre for autism care for children, youths and adults with autism, aged 7 to 55 years and beyond.
The Most Revd Dr John Chew said that the Anglican community decided to build autism centre for the welfare of the city: ‘Throughout Singapore’s history, Anglicans here have had a tradition of being pioneers in serving the changing needs of the population, medical or otherwise’.
Singapore’s Christian Post reports that : Singapore Anglicans were restructuring their community services, starting to operate a newly-relocated facility and opening another service. That same year they mooted a now completed integrated autism centre, despite knowing little about the field. Leading the mission was the archbishop. As leader of the community services of the Anglican Diocese, the Most Reverend Dr. John Chew faced all those major challenges. Archbishop Chew did this with a calm resolve to help persons with autism and their families that even the President lauded.
The archbishop has been ‘single-minded’ in wanting to establish the centre to help the autistic community and their families, expressed the President, His Excellency Mr. S R Nathan.
His commendation was part of his four-minute address at the official opening of the St. Andrew’s Autism Centre (SAAC) on Tuesday. SAAC is a comprehensive one-stop centre for autism care for children, youths and adults with autism, aged 7 to 55 years and beyond. During his speech, Mr. Nathan recounted a conversation he had had with Archbishop Chew some years back. The conversation revolved around helping persons with autism and their families. It also concerned plans for a piece of land at 1 Elliot Road.
This is the present location of the SAAC. Archbishop Chew was concerned about “how he was going to go about establishing something to deal with autism when he knew nothing about it,” the President expressed. Through the conversation, the archbishop felt that he needed to undertake a mission to go to the United States to see how others are dealing with the situation. ”And then arising from that conversation, so much has happened and we are here today,” said Mr. Nathan.
The President described the official opening of the SAAC, where he was Guest-of-Honour, as a ‘milestone’ event. Mr. Nathan officially opened the centre. SAAC meets a ‘long-felt’ need of persons with autism and their families.
Even more significantly, the President noted, was the fact that the centre could also devote its effort to undertaking research. It is able to enhance its contribution to the field with its professional training facilities, medical centre, family support centre and a volunteer centre. SAAC’s Chief Executive Officer John Ang also publicly commended the archbishop’s leadership in the move to start the centre. All these years, Archbishop Chew had guided the process of developing the centre with a pair of gentle, godly and sure hands, Mr. Ang put it.
The archbishop shared his own convictions in a nearly 15-minute address.
More at:
http://sg.christianpost.com/dbase/church/2670/17|29|45|63|77/1.htm