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Advanced Certificate in Educational Therapy: The Key Disability Categories

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  • Basic
  • SkillsFuture
  • Short Courses
  • This module is part of Advanced Certificate in Educational Therapy

This programme is conducted on campus.

To use your SkillsFuture Credit, please submit your claim through our payment portal. Do not submit the claim manually via the SkillsFuture page. Please refer to our step-by-step guide here.

Next course starts on
To be advised
Fee
SGD2,616* (as low as SGD304.80 after maximum funding) Learn More
Duration

2 days
Weekdays (9am - 6pm)

Level
Basic
Venue

Singapore Management University

Who Should Attend

  • Special Needs Educators
  • Therapist Counsellors

Overview

Inclusive education is important to achieve high-quality education for all.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the 10 key disability categories under which children and adolescents aged 3 to 21 may qualify for educational therapy services. Participants will dive into specific categories, including learning disabilities, speech-language impairments, and intellectual-developmental disabilities.

By the end of the course, learners will possess a nuanced understanding of these disability categories and the unique needs of individuals within each, empowering them to deliver tailored support and interventions.

Note: This module is part of a sequential programme and is not available on a standalone basis.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the 2-day module, participants will be able to:

  • Identify and describe the ten key disability categories under which children and adolescents may qualify for educational therapy services
  • Gain a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges and needs associated with each disability category, enhancing the learner’s ability to provide appropriate support
  • Learn to apply effective intervention strategies tailored to the specific needs of students within each disability category, promoting personalised educational planning
  • Develop skills to advocate for inclusive educational practices and accommodations that support the diverse needs of students with disabilities in various settings

Assessment

As part of the requirement for SkillsFuture Singapore, there will be an assessment conducted at the end of the course. Participants are required to attain a minimum of 75% attendance and pass the associated assessment in order to receive a digital Certificate of Completion.

Calculate Programme Fee

Click here for more information about SkillsFuture Credits (Not applicable for Company-sponsored participants)
For PSEA - Available only for Singapore Citizen below 31 (Not applicable for Company-sponsored participants)

Total Program Fee: SGD0.00

Fee Table

EMPLOYER-SPONSORED

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

SELF-SPONSORED

SME

NON-SME

Singapore Citizen < 40 years old

Permanent Resident

LTVP+

$784.80

(After SSG Funding 70%)

$304.80

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ ETSS Funding 20%)

$784.80

(After SSG Funding 70%)

Singapore Citizen ≥ 40 years old

$304.80

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ MCES Funding 20%)

$304.80

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ ETSS Funding 20%)

$304.80

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ MCES Funding 20%)

International Participant

$2,616

(No Funding)

$2,616

(No Funding)

$2,616

(No Funding)

All prices include 9% GST

Please note that the programme fees are subject to change without prior notice.

Post Secondary Education Account (PSEA)
PSEA can be utilised for subsidised programmes eligible for SkillsFuture Credit support. Click here to find out more.

Self Sponsored

SkillsFuture Credit

Singapore Citizens aged 25 and above may use their SkillsFuture Credits to pay for the course fees. The credits may be used on top of existing course fee funding.

This is only applicable to self-sponsored participants. Application to utilise SkillsFuture Credits can be submitted when making payment for the course via the SMU Academy TMS Portal, and can only be made within 60 days of course start date.

Please click here for more information on the SkillsFuture Credit. For help in submitting an SFC claim, you may wish to refer to our step-by-step guide on claiming SkillsFuture Credits (Individual).

Workfare Skills Support Scheme

From 1 July 2023, the Workfare Skills Support (WSS) scheme has been enhanced. Please click here for more details.

Employer Sponsored

Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS)

  • Organisation must be registered or incorporated in Singapore
  • Employment size of not more than 200 or with annual sales turnover of not more than $100 million
  • Trainees must be hired in accordance with the Employment Act and fully sponsored by their employers for the course
  • Trainees must be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents
  • Trainees must not be a full-time national serviceman
  • Trainees are eligible for ETSS funding only if their company's SME status is approved prior to the course commencement date. To verify your SME's status, please click here. 

Please click here for more information on ETSS.

Absentee Payroll

Employers who sponsor their employees for the course may apply for Absentee Payroll here. For more information, please refer to:

AP Guide (Non-SME Companies)
Declaration Guide (SME Companies)

Intake Information

Next Intake: 19 & 21 Jan 2026 [Registration Closed]

*Registration will close 5 calendar days before the course start date, or once the class is full, whichever comes first.

Trainers

Derrick Tan
Managing Director
Merlion Paediatric
Derrick Tan
Managing Director
Merlion Paediatric

Derrick is the Managing Director of Merlion Paediatric Diagnostic and Therapy Group. As the President of the Asian Educational Therapists (Singapore) (AETS), he is also a neuroscientist and a practising educational therapist accredited by both the International Association of Counselors and Therapists (IACT) and AETS. He obtained his master’s degrees from the University of Sydney and King’s College London.

He serves as the Managing Editor of the Asian Educational Therapists and Asian Paediatric Therapists. An experienced director, he has a demonstrated history of working in the neuroeducation, education management, and healthcare operations management sectors. As a fellow chartered accountant of both the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), he is also highly skilled in financial strategy and management, business planning and restructuring, operations management, financial analysis, and education entrepreneurship.

Dr Chia Kok Hwee
Managing Principal Educational Diagnostician & Therapist
Merlion Paediatric
Dr Chia Kok Hwee
Managing Principal Educational Diagnostician & Therapist
Merlion Paediatric

Dr Chia is a specialist in educational therapy, reading and literacy therapy, special education, and counselling, with nearly 30 years of professional experience. He is a triple board‑certified practitioner: he holds board certification in educational therapy with the Association of Educational Therapists (AET), board certification in reading and literacy therapy with the International Association of Counselors and Therapists (IACT), and board certification in special education with the American Association of Special Needs Professionals (AASEP). He holds a Doctorate of Education from the University of Western Australia and two Fellow diplomas in literacy and dyslexia from institutions in the United Kingdom. 

A former Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education (NTU), Dr Chia has served in various academic and governmental capacities, including as a committee member with the Ministry of Social and Family Development. He was a Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow (2010), a Visiting Professor at the University of Saint Joseph (Macau), Editor‑in‑Chief of The Asian Educational Therapist journal, and an editorial board member of the European Journal of Special Education Research. 

He currently serves as the Singapore Chapter Leader of IACT, Secretary and Fellow Member of the Asian Educational Therapist (Singapore), an Honorary Fellow of the Reading Specialists’ Association Singapore, and a special needs consultant working across East and Southeast Asia.

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