There are currently twenty-one local run Special Needs Schools (given the title 'SPED' abbreviated for 'Special Education') in Singapore. Each of these are run by 'Voluntary Welfare Organisations' (VWO) and funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the National Council of Social Services (NCSS). The Voluntary Welfare Organisations are as follows:

Asian Women's Welfare Association (AWWA)
Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN)
Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) (ARC)
Autism Association (Singapore) (AAS)
Canossian Daughters of Charity (CDC)
Metta Welfare Association (MWA)
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS)
Presbyterian Community Services (PCS)
Rainbow Centre (RC)
Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf)
Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH)
Spastic Children's Association of Singapore (SCAS)
St. Andrew's Autism Centre (SAAC)

Asian Women's Welfare Association (AWWA)
The AWWA School runs an 'Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children' (EIPIC), from birth to 4 years and a special educational 'Programme for Children with Multiple Handicaps' (PCMH) between the ages of 4 to 12 years. Also, since 2001, the school has catered for children with Autism and behavioural concerns under the title 'Project Challenge'.

Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN)
There are four APSN schools in Singapore, which cater for children with moderate learning difficulties 1, with IQ's between 50 and 70. Children between the ages of 6 and 12 can either attend Chao Yang School, or Katong School 2. Children between the ages of 13 and 16 can attend Tanglin School and those between the ages of 17 and 19 can attend Delta Senior School, which prepares the students for employment through a range of pre-vocational training programmes.

Autism Resource Centre (ARC)
Pathlight School was opened in 2004 and caters for children between 6 and 16 who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Pathlight School was the first school to offer mainstream education for children with specific special educational needs who have IQ's above 75. It caters for children cognitively able to cope with the mainstream syllabus yet unable to cope socially and emotionally in mainstream school. Students are provided with autism friendly facilities, small class sizes and qualified teaching staff in the field of autism.

Autism Association (Singapore) (AAS)
The AAS are the latest to open a special needs school in Singapore. The Singapore Autism School opened in 2005. Similar to Pathlight School, SAS caters for children between 6 and 16 who are on the Autistic Spectrum.

Canossian Daughters of Charity (CDC)
The CDC operates a primary school known as the Canossian School for the Hearing Impaired (CSHI). On reaching Primary Six the pupils take the Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE) and, depending on their results, will either transfer to a mainstream school catered for children with hearing impairment or to the 'Vocational School for the Handicapped'. The 'Magdalene Kindergarten' is a feeder school for pre-primary aged children with hearing impairment.

Metta Welfare Association (MWA)
The MWA runs the Metta School which caters for children with mild to moderate learning difficulties, with I.Q.'s between 55 and 75. The age range for the Metta School is 6 until 18 years old.

Movement for the Intellectually Disabled (MINDS)
There are five MINDS schools, which cater for children with moderate to severe learning difficulties, with IQ's below 50. Children between the ages of 4 and 18 can either attend Lee Kong Chian Gardens School, Guillemard Gardens School, Towner Gardens School, Woodlands Gardens School or Yio Chu Kang Gardens School. On leaving school, students have the opportunity to either attend one of the two MINDS Day Activity Centres at Clementi or Ang Mo Kio, or attend one of the three MINDS Employment Development Centres / Sheltered Workshops.

Presbyterian Community Services (PCS)
Since 2002, the PCS has run the Grace Orchard School (GOS) for children between the ages of 7 and 16 years, with mild learning difficulties and IQ's from 55 to 70.

Rainbow Centre (RC)
The Rainbow Centre operates two schools, namely, Margaret Drive Special School (MDSS) and Yishun Park School. Both schools cater for children with Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other neurological conditions. The schools follow three programmes: 1) 'Early Intervention for Infants and Children' under 4 years old; 2) 'Programme for Children with Multiple Handicaps' between 4 and 16 years; and 3) 'Structured Teaching for Exceptional Pupils' (STEP), for children with Autism up to the age of 12 years.

Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf)
The SADeaf runs a primary school known as the Singapore School for the Deaf. On reaching the age of 14 the students can transfer to the 'Vocational School for the Handicapped' or, if able to pass the PSLE, can transfer to a designated mainstream school as listed in footnote 3.

Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH)
The SAVH operates a primary school known as the Singapore School for the Visually Handicapped. The majority of students follow the mainstream curriculum, although there is also a remedial class for slow learners and a special class for children with multiple disabilities. On passing the PSLE the students can transfer to a mainstream school 4. The SAVH also runs a 'Vocational Training Centre' which is for people with visual impairment aged 18 and above.

Spastic Children's Association of Singapore (SCAS)
The SCAS runs the Spastic Children's Association School for children with cerebral palsy between the ages of 5 and 18 years. The school curriculum is modified to meet the varying needs of each student. Additionally, SCAS have recently set up a programme called the 'Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children‘ (EIPIC) which caters for children, from 0 to 6 years old, with Cerebral Palsy, other physical disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Vocational training and employment is also available at the SCAS 'Goodwill Rehabilitation and Occupational Workshop' (GROW).

St. Andrew's Autism Centre (SAAC)
St. Andrew's Autism School caters for children with ASD from the ages of 7 to 18 years. It also runs a Day Activity Centre for ages 16 to 55 years.

Privately Run / Foreign System Schools
In addition to the above, Genesis School is a special school, commercially run, which caters to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Communication Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorders and Learning Difficulties, from the age of 3. Individual Educational Programmes are provided for each child in addition to on-going assessments and small class sizes.

Dover Court Preparatory School is an International School, which runs mainstream, English as a Second Language (ESL) and Special Educational Needs classes ranging from primary to junior levels. The special needs department provides small class sizes, qualified teaching staff, teaching assistants in each class group and educational programmes catered to each individual child. Opportunity to integrate with the mainstream classes is practiced.

Furthermore, some International mainstream schools such as the Australian International School, International School of Singapore, Tanglin Trust School and the American School is open to take children with mild special educational needs. The latter school has full time speech therapists for both the primary and secondary school's.

1 In Singapore 'Learning Difficulties' are often referred to as 'Intellectual Disabilities' and the abbreviation 'ID' is often used for persons who are 'intellectually disabled'.
2 Placement of a child into an APSN or MINDS school or a Day Activity Centre is generally based on the geographical positioning of their family's home.
3 Designated Secondary local schools, which cater for children with hearing impairments, are 'Boon Lay Secondary School' and 'Balestier Hill Secondary School'.
4 Designated Secondary local schools, which cater for children with visual impairment, are 'Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School', 'Bedok South Secondary School', 'Dunearn Secondary School' and 'Ghim Moh Secondary School'.

National Council of Social Services (2003) Directory of Social Services, 8th Edition, NCSS, Singapore.
Ministry of Education, Singapore (2004) Special Education in Singapore. http://www.moe.gov.sg/specialeducation/VWOs 2003.htm
The above information has been verified by telephone discussions with many of the listed schools Social Workers or Administry Departments, in addition to a personal interview with an Educational Psychologist from the Ministry of Education.