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Alfie (6YO)
Little Olive Tree Yishun
ESP matters because it gives him consistent hand-over-hand support, verbal prompts, social stories and sensory tools like a helmet, gloves and trampoline to keep him safe and regulated.
Alfie is a gentle, curious child with a growing love for music, movement and tactile play. He lights up when songs are played, humming along and calming himself through rhythm. He enjoys exploring with his hands, feeling paint swirl between his fingers, and discovering letters and numbers through puzzles.
Though he communicates only through one simple word at a time, like “eat”, “happy” or “angry”. These words help us relate to his every day experiences. He can also count, match pictures to words and even spell short words with the help of alphabet puzzles. When calm and content, his classmates reach out with high-fives, showing that his quiet presence already draws others in and invites connection.
Why does ESP matter to Alfie and children like him?
Alfie has Global Developmental Delay and experiences challenges with communication, social interaction, and both gross and fine motor skills. Without prompting, he may struggle to express his needs or join lessons, sometimes retreating into his own world or using behaviours to self-regulate.
ESP matters because it gives him consistent hand-over-hand support, verbal prompts, social stories and sensory tools like a helmet, gloves and trampoline to keep him safe and regulated.
With this patient guidance, he’s gone from frequent self-injury to calmer moments and growing participation, opening doors for learning, friendships and a richer school experience.
Brighter than Words is a collection of acrylic pour art work done by children with Special Education Needs from Little Olive Tree. In this collection, Alfie collaborated on Unsilenced Echoes with Louis. He chose the colours, poured them onto the canvas and mixed the paint with his hands. Louis continued to work on the artwork through other acrylic-pour art methods like tilting the artwork for the paint to flow and using the hair dryer to manipulate the paint.
READ MORE: Deliberate Grace: What It Took to Make Art Together traces the extraordinary effort behind a simple idea — having children create art that speaks louder than words. It tells the story of how this project began — the coordination, the care, and the countless small acts of intention that made it possible. Read it alongside Accidental Beauty: 7 Lessons on Inclusion Behind Acrylic Pour Art, gathers the reflections of our Educational Support Teachers who journeyed through the art-making process with the children, and see how deliberate action and accidental grace together create beauty beyond words.
READ MORE: ESPecially Important: Anyone Can Learn explores what it truly means to believe that every child is a capable learner. It reminds us that when a child doesn’t learn, it is not their limitation but our opportunity — to teach with humility, creativity, and faith that every mind can be reached.
READ MORE: ESPecially Important: Wonderfully Made, Fully Heard invites us to see every child as already capable of thinking, feeling, and expressing — not voices to be given, but voices to be restored. May these words remind us why we teach: to make learning accessible, restore dignity, and help every child be wonderfully made, fully heard.