The recent tragedies relating to individuals with special needs and their families draw attention to the needs not just of caregivers but also of individuals with special needs.

Support has to cover both the needs of the family and of the person with special needs. The challenge lies in coordinating services that build caregivers' capabilities that are aligned with these individuals' developmental needs.

The building of capabilities needs to begin in the home and begin early, when stressors typically arise from the routine care of children with special needs. This is when it is most appropriate to begin giving caregivers foundational knowledge and skills.

When the focus shifts from development to schooling, it can disrupt the building of caregivers' capabilities.

Children who were curious learners can develop into aggressive teenagers. Increasing social isolation, worsened by their obsessive and narrow scope of interests, can build up frustrations that the children cannot understand or manage.

These challenging behaviours in the home can wear down caregivers and family members.

Not enough attention is paid to the understanding of developmental changes - how thought and behavioural patterns change with growth and what impact these changes have.

Consequently, this understanding and its application is often lacking in caregiving at home, and even in service providers.

Caregivers need pit stops in their long, often challenging, journey with individuals with special needs.

They need services that update their capabilities with the knowledge and skills appropriate for caregiving at individuals' different developmental stages - middle childhood or adolescence, and the subsequent stages of the caregiving journey.

Such services are crucial in helping to prevent tragic consequences.

Lucy Pou Kwee Hoon (Dr)