Ex-finance professional makes it her business to help children thrive

She founded early intervention centre for children with developmental delays

- Rosalind Ang

Ms Janice Tay did not expect to become a business owner. She was happy working in private insurance, and starting a business was far from her mind.

But then came the diagnosis. She left the corporate world to focus on her son after he was diagnosed with global developmental delay and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

She found herself on the rocky road of figuring out what to do and how to do it. Her journey with her son made her realise that families with children who have developmental needs lacked guidance and support. "Many families, like ours, were struggling to navigate disconnected services and lacked the guidance they desperately needed," she said.

This led to her starting Bridging The Gap in 2017, an early intervention centre that supports children with developmental delays, learning differences or social communication challenges.

Ms Tay, 45, is also clinical director of the centre.

Her husband Max Lee began his career in multinational corporations but shifted into special education after their son's diagnosis. He obtained an advanced diploma in special education to better support his family and the centre's clients. Mr Lee, 51, is now the director of business development at Bridging The Gap.

"First, we bridge the gap between a child's current developmental stage and their full potential by providing timely, evidence-based intervention," said Ms Tay.

Second, the centre bridges the gap in support that many families experience when navigating the complex early childhood and special needs systems.

"Our programmes are individualised and family-centred, ensuring not only that every child receives the right therapy but also the emotional and practical support their caregivers need," she said.

Ms Tay holds a master of education in special education from Nanyang Technological University.

She lives with her husband and two children in a condominium in the east.