At Koo Foundation, we are driven by the profound understanding that a child's environment is essential for them to reach their full potential, more so for families supporting a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To honour and empower this essential role, we are championing a new, transformative initiative in partnership with STAR: the Promoting Autism Parenting Intervention (PAPI) programme. This programme is designed to empower parents/caretakers of children with ASD, ensuring that parents have the tools, knowledge, and parenting skills they need to nurture their child's development.
Programme Details
Since 2019, STAR has already transformed over 2,800 lives through innovative autism support. By aligning with STAR's proven mission, Koo Foundation is scaling high-quality, specialised support to where it is needed most: the home.
The PAPI programme is a comprehensive, tailor made 8-week parent skill training course designed specifically for both mothers and fathers of children with ASD aged 4 to 12. The six main objectives of PAPI are:
The PAPI programme is a comprehensive, tailor made 8-week parent skill training course designed specifically for both mothers and fathers of children with ASD aged 4 to 12. The six main objectives of PAPI are:
- To teach parents the diagnoses, treatment, and etiology of ASD
- To raise parents' awareness of sensory needs of their children under hyper/hyposensitivity situations at home or in public
- To equip parents with effective play strategies at home that can facilitate the development of social skills
- To increase parents' understanding about the child's feelings and emotions, and how to respond to their emotional needs
- To train parents to teach their children how to make requests verbally or nonverbally at home or in public
- To form support groups for parents that can relieve their distress
This curriculum aims to equip 100 caregivers with adaptive coping skills, increasing their understanding of ASD and reducing their parental stress by 10 20% as they learn to improve their child's social, sensory, and communication functioning. Video taped assignments are also required each week for parents to demonstrate their mastery of the skills learned in class.
The parent is the child's first teacher and their most critical touchpoint. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we empower them with the knowledge and tools needed to lay the foundation for a child's lifelong learning.
Chairman
Chairman
Our vision, however, is a resource that outlives the training period. To ensure the knowledge is accessible and sustainable for the entire community, STAR will publish a PAPI parent skill training manual in both printed and digital formats, produce at least 20 home based training videos dedicated to improving sensory integration and social and communication skills, and establish 2 to 3 parent support groups to relieve stress and foster a lasting community.
With the donations of Koo Foundation, PAPI is expanding vital resources, ensuring that these comprehensive interventions are not only accessible but enduring, ultimately leading to better outcomes for children and building resilience within the entire family unit.
With the donations of Koo Foundation, PAPI is expanding vital resources, ensuring that these comprehensive interventions are not only accessible but enduring, ultimately leading to better outcomes for children and building resilience within the entire family unit.