Community Impact Activities
A very important aspect of doing research and developing expertise, for me, is the impact that I am able to have with the knowledge that I am gaining. Over these past few years, I have tried to utilize my knowledge and skills to address practical issues I encounter around me. Even going forward, as I develop deeper expertise in neuroscience and related disciplines, conduct research during my undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral studies and beyond, this aspect of solving practical challenges that have a positive impact on the lives of the people and community around me is very important to me and will always be a key motivating factor for me.
ADHD Learning Support Working Paper
Click here for a video of one of my presentations summarizing the physiological and behavioral conditions associated with ADHD as well as the latest research-backed best practices in addressing them that I presented to my high school teachers and parents of neurodiverse kids.
Learning Support for Children with ADHD
For me, as important as it is to research and learn more about our brain, it is equally important to use that knowledge to positively impact the community around me. With this intent and inspired by the stories of my Quest teacher, who has experienced learning with ADHD firsthand, I reached out to the Director of Student Support at my school, with whom I discussed my work on distractor suppression and how it may be playing a role in kids with ADHD.
I am currently researching the physiological basis of ADHD, how it impacts students in the classroom, and what teachers and school systems might be able to do to support learners with ADHD. This involves sharing my research with the school-wide learning support faculty team, as well as parents and teachers working with students that have ADHD. Additionally, I am looking to engage in further discussions on how policy can be modified to support neurodiverse students with varying needs, which can in turn benefit everyone in the classroom in their learning.
My school's leadership has been wonderfully supportive of my work in this area and have helped facilitate my presentations to teachers and parents, for which I am very grateful. Our Director of Student Services has been a great pillar of support and encouragement and shared these kind words in an email to the High School Principals, the Quest teachers and me.
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"Jia tackled a complex subject matter and was able to break down the core aspects of working memory and its relation to ADHD in a way that all parents could connect to. She not only conveyed the information effectively but also managed to create an atmosphere that encouraged questions and left parents feeling hopeful for their children.
What struck me most about Jia's presentation was her skillful blend of research findings and practical implications. She didn't just provide a theoretical overview; she also offered practical insights and strategies that parents could immediately apply to support their children with ADHD. This practical approach made her presentation all the more valuable to our school community."
Quest Teaching Assistantship
At the end of junior year, my Quest teacher, Ms. Mare invited me to support the next cohort of students by serving as a TA in the Quest program in my senior year. I am super excited to volunteer for this and help the new Questies make the most of their program. For this, I had to petition the school and create the Quest TA position, which did not exist before. Now, other students after me can also take up this position and continue to support future cohorts of students. My TAship has already started and I am enjoying getting to know the new Questies and helping them.
Volunteering at the RDA Singapore
The Riding for the Disabled Association Singapore (RDA Singapore), founded in 1982, provides therapeutic sessions to children and adults with physical and mental disabilities and is the only charity in Singapore that provides equine-assisted therapeutic sessions free of charge.
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I came across RDA while browsing the web during the Covid lockdowns and immediately was drawn towards their cause. I wrote to them and had to wait till I was 16 years old to become eligible to apply to volunteer and was selected. At RDA, I am using my horse-riding ability and knowledge of neuroscience to support children with neurological and physiological disabilities through equine therapy. I helped Chrislyn, a 8 year old girl and 6 year old Haoran, both with neurological conditions, through a 3 hours a week, 10 week therapy program. I plan to help another child as soon as they find one that is suitable for me to support.
Volunteering for RMHC
The Singapore branch of Ronald McDonald House Charities, a global organization working in collaboration with McDonalds, aims to “champion family-centered care in the health care journey of seriously ill children and their families.” At SAS, I have been a part of the RMHC service club for all four years of high school.
Throughout my time in the club, I have organized and assembled care packages for nurses and children in coordination with the Singapore branch of RMHC while physical visits were not possible due to COVID-19. I have also designed and created “Storyland” videos to read various books to the children at the RMHC homes when their parents are unable to. I have organized multiple donation drives at school, and volunteered at the Singapore branch of the RMHC hospital in person. It has been incredibly rewarding to see and hear the impact that all of my actions through the club, on both small and larger scales, has had on the community at RMHC.
