The toddler had poor eye contact, spoke only a few single words, often cried and was irritable. When the family returned to Singapore from Britain, where they were residing, Dr Lim encountered a slew of challenges trying to get her daughter, who was three by then, the help she needed.
"It was a tough journey because at that time, the services were not comprehensive enough. And the awareness of autism in girls was not very high," said Dr Lim.
Marianne got diagnosed with autism only when she was 11.
Several years later, when her third child - Lucas - received the same diagnosis at the age of seven, Dr Lim decided to step away from her career at KK Women's and Children's Hospital in 2017 to focus on her children.
Today, she is the founder of CaringSG, a non-profit initiative that supports caregivers of persons with special needs. The organisation has grown from 1,000 members in its first year in 2020 to 5,000 at present.
Her goal is to provide comprehensive support to caregivers by connecting them to support groups and helpers in the community like grassroots organisations, and other social and health service partners.
They are also paired with caregiver volunteers and professional key workers who share resources, offer a listening ear, help them with improving their daily routines, and connect them with various agencies and ministries to ease their burdens.
Dr Lim is a finalist for the Singaporean of the Year award.
It was not easy for Dr Lim to leave her medical practice of 20 years.
By then, both her eldest and youngest children had enrolled in Pathlight School, which caters to those with autism. Her hope was that they could reintegrate into mainstream schools one day.
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Denne historien er fra November 01, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Hawkers Economics biggest challenge, not consumer culture
I was disappointed to read senior columnist Chua Mui Hoong's commentary \"Hawker culture debate: The missing ingredient is our willingness to pay\" (Nov 23).
Make web more accessible for those with disabilities
There should be guidelines to make the web, and not just digital banking and shopping services, more accessible to the disabled and vision-impaired (When you can't see, and your banking app OTP is expiring, Nov 21).
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The Insurance and Financial Practitioners Association of Singapore (IFPAS) welcomes the clear stance taken by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) regarding the licensing and regulation of financial influencers who provide financial advice.
Nightmare Maid involved in money mule activities
Hiring a domestic helper can be convenient, but it can quickly become a nightmare if money issues arise.
Apple should have learnt a Chinese lesson on EVs
Almost overnight, phone companies have become major car-making players in China, feeding into a booming industry.
Accidental talent factory: How ChildAid shaped the stars of tomorrow
The event has flourished simply by offering young talent the stage to shine.
The return of the techno-libertarians
Silicon Valley billionaires are selling a dream of unfettered markets—but the reality is not so certain.
The right outcome for Income? Not a merger with Allianz
The insurance company can continue to be a successful social enterprise that helps Singaporeans.
Nobody knows why ultra-processed foods are bad for you
But scientists are racing to find out.
CPF tops Asia in pension index, but needs to evolve to stay viable
Analysts concerned about Singapore's low birth rates and increasing life expectancies