If your child is of preschool age and you’ve noticed they may need more support — maybe in communication, behaviour, learning, or social skills — it’s completely normal to feel slightly daunted or overwhelmed.

You might have these questions in mind:

• Does my child have special educational needs (SEN)?
• What do terms like SEN, ADHD, or dyslexia mean?
• Should I choose a mainstream preschool or something more specialised?

Below, we’ll break everything down in simple, everyday language, so you can feel confident about understanding your child’s needs and choosing a preschool environment that fits them.

What does it mean if a child has “Developmental Needs” (DN) or “Special Educational Needs” (SEN)?

In the early childhood years (birth to age six), professionals usually start with the term Developmental Needs (DN). This means that a child is developing differently compared to peers, and may benefit from extra support.

This can include support for communication, movement, behaviour, sensory needs, or learning. DN is a broad and gentle term — it is used because young children develop at different speeds, and a child may catch up with the right support.

Within the umbrella of DN, there is a smaller group of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). These are children who have a more clearly defined disability or learning difference that may affect how they access learning in the longer term.

You can think of it this way:

• DN = a wider group of children who need some extra help
• SEN = a smaller group within DN who have a diagnosed condition or more significant needs

What are some examples of special learning needs?

Below are the more common “special needs” terms that parents may hear:

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Children with ADHD may struggle with attention, sitting still, or controlling impulses. You might notice that your child gets distracted easily, acts without thinking, moves or fidgets a lot, or has difficulty staying on task.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Children with autism often find it harder to communicate, understand social rules, or cope with changes. They tend to prefer routines, have strong interests, become overwhelmed by noise or crowds, and need more time to understand social cues.

Cerebral Palsy (CP)
This affects movement and coordination. Children with CP may have stiff or floppy muscles, need support with walking or balance, or experience delayed motor skills.

Dyslexia
This is a learning difference that affects reading, spelling, and sometimes writing. Children with dyslexia are often bright, but they may read slowly, mix up letters, struggle to spell, or avoid reading activities.

Hearing Loss
A child may have partial or complete difficulty hearing speech or sound. This affects communication and learning in group settings.

Intellectual Disability (ID)
Children with an intellectual disability may learn more slowly than peers and need extra help with daily self-care, communication, or understanding new concepts. They may require more time and support to pick up new skills.

Language Disorder
Some children understand less than expected for their age, or struggle to express themselves clearly. They might have limited vocabulary, find it hard to follow long instructions, or have trouble forming sentences.

Multiple Disabilities
This term is used when a child has more than one significant disability, such as autism combined with a physical or sensory impairment.

Visual Impairment
A child may have low vision or blindness that affects daily functioning, including reading pictures, recognising faces, or navigating new spaces.

How will having developmental or special needs affect my child’s preschool experience?

Children with DN or SEN may face challenges that their peers do not. These may include difficulties with:

• understanding lessons
• communicating needs or ideas
• managing emotions
• making friends
• following routines
• moving around safely
• coping with sensory input such as noise, touch, or bright lights

This does not mean your child cannot thrive. But what it means is that they will need targeted support to address their challenges.

How do we support children with DN and SEN?

Here are the types of support that you can consider:

Therapy Support
“Therapy” refers to structured help from trained professionals to aid a child’s development. Below are some forms of therapy that can benefit children with developmental or special needs:

• Speech and Language Therapy helps children who struggle to understand language or express themselves. Examples include practising turn-taking in conversation, learning to follow two-step instructions, and building vocabulary using pictures.
• Occupational Therapy (OT) supports children with coordination, sensory processing, or daily routines. Examples include activities to improve fine motor skills for holding pencils, and sensory activities to help a child stay calm and alert.
• Physiotherapy helps children with balance, strength, or walking. Examples include exercises to improve walking and climbing, and practising movements needed for playground play.

Therapy may take place outside of preschool, or therapists may collaborate with preschool teachers to reinforce strategies during the school day.

Visual Schedules
A visual schedule is a set of pictures or icons that shows a child what will happen during the day. This helps children who struggle with changes or transitions, or who understand pictures better than spoken instructions.

Examples of visual schedules include:

• A row of pictures showing: Arrival → Play Time → Snack → Outdoor Play → Story Time → Home
• A simple “first–then” chart such as “First tidy up, then playground.”
• Step-by-step visual instructions for routines such as washing hands.

Small Group Learning
Instead of learning in a large group of 15 to 20 children, a child may join a smaller group of 3 to 5. This helps children stay engaged, reduces distractions, and allows teachers to offer more individual guidance.

Examples include small-group story sessions, literacy or numeracy activities, or short playgroups with closer support.

One-to-One Attention
Children who need extra support may sometimes work directly with a teacher or educator one-to-one. This might involve help with routines, guidance during transitions, or practising communication phrases during play. This is not the same as having a full-time shadow teacher, but rather intentional support during key moments.

Assistive Tools
These are tools or technology that help a child access learning. Examples include hearing aids, cochlear implants, remote microphone systems, magnifiers or high-contrast books, and picture-based communication cards.

Behavioural Support Strategies
These techniques help a child learn appropriate behaviours, manage emotions, and cope with classroom expectations. Examples include:

• breaking tasks into smaller steps
• teaching a child to ask for a break
• praising positive behaviour
• creating a calm corner for children to regulate when overwhelmed

How to tell if my child has special needs?

A special needs assessment helps you understand your child’s strengths, challenges, and learning style. Think of it as a structured way of getting to know your child better.

Your child can be assessed at government hospitals (KKH, NUH) or at privately run centres. If you're considering the private route, do ensure that your child is assessed by qualified professionals, specifically a registered Educational or Clinical Psychologist listed in the Singapore Register of Psychologists.

During an assessment, professionals may do the following:

• talk to you
• observe your child
• review past records
• guide your child through age-appropriate activities or tests

After the assessment, you should receive a report explaining your child’s strengths, areas that need support, any diagnosis, recommended support such as therapy or structured routines, and what kind of learning environment suits them.

Are there special needs preschools in Singapore?

Yes, there are. If your child has been assessed to have developmental or special needs, here’s what you can consider:

Option A: Inclusive Preschool (mainstream school with support)

This is suitable when your child:

• can cope in a group with some extra help
• enjoys play but needs reminders or guidance
• benefits from visual schedules, small-group teaching, or predictable routines
• has mild–to-moderate delays

Ideally, a good inclusive preschool should offer:

• trained teachers who understand SEN
• visual supports
• sensory-friendly spaces
• flexible routines
• good communication with parents
• willingness to adapt teaching methods
• openness to collaborate with external therapists

Option B: Specialised early intervention or special needs preschools

Such schools may be more suitable if your child:

• needs very frequent one-to-one support
• has safety concerns (e.g. absconding, meltdowns)
• cannot follow routines even with support
• finds group settings very overwhelming
• has moderate-to-severe delays
• needs therapy built directly into the school day

These settings provide:

• small class sizes
• high adult–child ratio
• structured routines
• therapy embedded into lessons
• strong focus on communication, daily living skills, social-emotional learning

Within Singapore, these are some inclusive and early intervention preschools to consider:

• Early Childhood Development Agency’s Inclusive Support Programme (six preschools currently offer this programme; more preschools will offer this from 2026)
• HATCH by TOUCH Community Services (inclusive preschools)
• Bright Path (inclusive early intervention preschool)
• Kindle Garden Inclusive Preschool
• Little Olive Tree (preschool with Education Support Programme)
• SAIL Playhouse Inclusive Preschool
• The Growing Academy (early intervention preschool — read our interview with the school’s founder)

Need more advice? Read the Ministry of Education’s guide for parents of children with special needs. Or post a question on our KiasuParents forum!