When Natalie Chen was four years old, she could not hop, jump or run properly. Her mother was also concerned that Natalie, who has Down syndrome, could not recognise the letter A, when her classmates at her mainstream pre-school were starting to write the letters of the alphabet.

As children with Down syndrome typically face delays in certain areas of development, her mother, Ms Ann Kositchotitana, was concerned about her daughter's educational prospects.