Welcome to Tesserae

Worried your child is behind on their milestones?

Not talking yet. Not pointing. Slower to walk, to play, to manage the things other children the same age seem to manage.

A delay is not a verdict. In the early years development is still moving quickly, and the right support at the right time is what makes the difference.

Does this sound familiar?

Most parents come to us because something feels behind, often after a doctor, a teacher or a grandparent said something. If several of these are familiar, it is worth a conversation:

Few or no words by an age when other children are talking, or words that came and then stopped.
Not pointing, waving, or showing you things to share attention.
Slower to sit, crawl, walk, or manage stairs and playground equipment.
Play that stays repetitive: lining things up, spinning wheels, mouthing toys.
Struggling with mealtimes, dressing, or toileting compared with children the same age.
A doctor, preschool teacher or family member has said your child seems behind.

Global Developmental Delay means delays across two or more areas of development. In the early years it is usually a working description rather than a lifelong label, and it says nothing about where your child will end up.

What matters far more than the label is what happens next. In Singapore, that conversation almost always starts with one word: EIPIC.

Early intervention in Singapore

Waiting for EIPIC? You do not have to wait to start.

EIPIC is the subsidised early intervention programme most families here are pointed towards, and for good reason. It is comprehensive, it is multidisciplinary, and for most children with GDD it becomes a core part of the picture.

The difficulty is availability. Places are limited, waiting is common, and the early years are exactly when support does the most work.

While you are waiting

You do not need a place, a diagnosis or a referral to begin with us. We can start work on communication, play and daily routines straight away, so the months spent in a queue are not months where nothing happens.

Once your place comes through

Most of our families carry on with both, because the two do different jobs. EIPIC gives your child a structured group setting and a team across disciplines. We keep working one to one on the specific skills and behaviours that need individual attention, and on carrying them into home and preschool.

We are not a replacement for EIPIC and we are not trying to be. We work alongside it, and alongside your child’s speech therapist, occupational therapist and preschool, so everyone is pulling towards the same goals.

Will my child catch up?

This is the question every parent asks, and the honest answer is that nobody can tell you at the start. Some children close the gap entirely. Others keep needing support, in fewer areas, for longer. Anyone who promises you an outcome is guessing.

What is well established is the shape of it. Skills build on skills, so a delay in one area tends to slow the next. Starting earlier means working with a smaller gap, while your child is developing fastest anyway.

So we work in steps rather than in promises. Applied Behaviour Analysis is the evidence-based science of working out which skill comes next for a particular child and how to teach it, through play and everyday routines rather than drills. Every session is recorded against specific goals, so if something is not moving, we change it rather than waiting and hoping.

What Changes for Your Child

Once support begins, these are the changes families come to us for.

Say What They Want

First words, gestures, pointing, or visuals. Whatever gives your child a way to be understood, because being understood is what reduces the frustration behind most tears.

Play and Connect

From playing beside other children to playing with them. We build looking, imitating, taking turns, and pretend play, the foundations everything social sits on.

Follow and Join In

Following a simple instruction, staying with a group, watching what someone else is doing and copying it. The learning-to-learn skills a classroom will expect.

Manage Everyday Routines

Mealtimes, getting dressed, toileting, transitions between activities. The routines that make an ordinary day possible for everyone in the house.

Do More Independently

Doing more without an adult beside them, and closing the gap between what your child can do and what children their age are doing.

Get Ready for Preschool

Sitting for a story, separating at drop-off, coping with noise and other children. We build towards preschool rather than treating it as a distant problem.

Why Trust Us with Your Child

Behaviour Specialists, Internationally Certified

We are behaviour specialists. Where a speech therapist works on language and an occupational therapist on motor and sensory skills, we work on behaviour and learning: how your child pays attention, imitates, follows a routine, and picks up new skills.

Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) is the international qualification for that work, awarded and monitored by a US-based board and held to the same standard worldwide. Every programme here is designed and reviewed by one. Our clinical team is led by Dr. Dominic Leong, who holds it at doctoral level (BCBA-D) and is the only practicing BCBA-D in Southeast Asia.

We Work Alongside Everyone Else

Young children with delays often see several professionals at once. We work directly with your child’s speech therapist, occupational therapist, doctor, or preschool so everyone is working towards the same goals instead of running parallel programmes.

Data You Can Actually Read

We track every session and go through progress with you regularly, in plain language, so you can see which areas are moving and which are not.

Skills That Travel Home and to School

Progress that only appears in a therapy room is not progress. We work at our centre, in your home, and in your child’s preschool, and we equip you and their teachers so gains hold between sessions.

Our Process

Reach out to us

WhatsApp, website or email, whichever feels most comfortable. We will respond within 1 working day.

Complimentary 20-min Discovery Call

Tell us what you have been noticing. We will talk through the options, including EIPIC, and say honestly if we are not the right fit.

2 Hours Initial Consultation (If needed)

A structured look at where your child is across communication, play, learning and daily living. You receive a clear report and practical recommendations you can use anywhere.

Support Begins (If needed)

Sessions at our centre, at home, or in your child’s school. We set specific goals, take data every session, and review progress with you regularly.

Testimonials

What Parents and Partners Say About Us

I would like to thank Teacher Dominic for the guidance and support he has shown to Ian. Ian has made tremendous progress over the past year with him, especially in social skills and communication.

What I appreciate most about his approach is his ability to work collaboratively with our family’s needs.

He took the time to understand our goals and concerns, and consistently provided us with feedback and strategies to support Ian’s progress. His assistance in helping Ian learn how to queue and wait nicely is just one example.

Thank you for the great work he has done with Ian. Although we are putting a stop to the therapy sessions due to other commitments, we look forward to seeing him again in the upcoming social classes.

Stephanie was our autistic son Jason Kan's teacher and behavioral consultant for over three years. As a behavioral consultant, Stephanie would not only teach Jason, but would also help organize Jason's behavioral intervention sessions and manage other teachers working with him.

Our son loved Stephanie and we loved how open and transparent she was with explaining how sessions with Jason went. We would highly recommend Stephanie.

Finally, we wanted to inform how Stephanie is a wonderful and trustworthy professional. She deeply cares for children and is deeply passionate about bettering the lives of special needs children. Thank you for taking the time to read our testimonial.

I am truly grateful for the social skills program led by Teacher Dominic. Through the sessions, my child has learned how to talk nicely to others, take turns in conversations, and express thoughts in a more considerate and confident way.

What impressed me most was how the lessons went beyond simple social rules. They helped my child understand tone, body language, and how to adjust responses based on different situations. These are advanced conversational skills that have made a real difference in how my child interacts with peers and adults.

I have seen growth in his ability to join group discussions, maintain conversations, and show awareness of how his words can affect others

The (ABA) Dance Program has been an excellent experience for my child. The sessions are engaging and enjoyable, and I have seen improvements in his confidence and social interactions. The instructors are patient and skilled at balancing fun with teaching. My son looks forward to every class, and as a parent, I appreciate how this program brings together movement, communication, and relationship building through the joy of dance.

We are so grateful to Dr Dominic Leong for leading a musical theatre class at Sing’theatre Academy for children with autism. He brought a great deal of patience, care, and professionalism, making the children feel truly included and engaged. Some children exceeded our expectations after going through the class!

Beyond the class, our teachers also learnt so much from him, and we still use his techniques today. His guidance has helped us open more doors to make the joy of the arts accessible to every child!

Not sure where to start?

Tell us what you have been noticing. We will help you make sense of the options, including EIPIC and anything else that might suit your child better than us.

Book a complimentary discovery call.

A 20-minute conversation with one of our BCBAs. No cost, no pressure, and no obligation to book anything afterwards.

Developmental Delay (GDD) Support for Children in Singapore | Tesserae