Autism newsletter 2024 August HR - Flipbook - Page 10
INTERVIEW
GETTING TO KNOW OUR STAFF
MARGARET SU
Tell us more about yourself and your role in at the Eden
Centre for Adults (Clementi).
I started working in Special Needs field straight after university.
Never would I imagine that it has been 21 years. Several times
along the way, I wanted to switch fields, but somehow my heart
is still drawn back to special needs. Coaching adults with autism is
not far from coaching children and youth with special needs. Both
involve teaching them skills that lead towards more independency,
and better quality of life.
My role here is to work with other coaches to give the utmost
opportunities of success for our clients. We worked as a team,
brainstormed ideas, programmes and activities that can benefit
our clients. Our clients’ activities are not ‘stagnant’ in their days
here. Recently, we collaborated with a neighbourhood hair salon
to provide us with used towels. Our clients washed, dried, folded
and returned the towels to the hair salon on a weekly basis. Most
caregivers are very pleased that their children are involved in
community projects.
Coach Margaret conducting Art & Craft session.
What would people never guess you do in your role?
Tell us 3 things most people don’t know about you.
People usually think that we are very boring, serious with no sense
of humour. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. We are creative and
innovative, we come out with new tasks and activities for our
clients, such as Cardio Drumming, modified Zumba and group
games like Bingo and Jenga. We also tried different menus/recipes
during cooking lesson. Eden Centre for Adults (Clementi) is not a
boring place, one can hear laughter in the air.
Well, I like art. I do Chinese finger painting, batik, ceramic, zentagle.
I like bright colours, black is my least favourite colour. Lime green is
my colour, I feel happy and refresh when I see lime green, and guess
what? Lime green is the colour of our centre!
I like to learn to cook from recipes from other cultures. I have
learnt to cook a few Indian/Malay dishes. I will go for cooking
lesson whenever time permits. I like to learn new things without
compromising family time. Knowledge is empowerment. The more
we learn, the more we grow. As the Chinese saying goes r
r (One is never too old to learn).
What is your favourite meal?
Hmm… I like bloody, half raw food, such as cockles dip with lime
and fresh chillies, medium rare steak with salt, half cooked pig liver
…… stop, I am hungry.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Autism Links
I have tasted dog meat when I was very young in Sarawak. I
remembered the meat was rather tough. I ate stir fry snake meat in
a Chinese restaurant in China. There were so many fine bones, and
I had to spend so much time removing the bones, the meat didn’t
taste nice though. I don’t have the courage to eat insects yet.
Coach Margaret with client during meal prep session.
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