Jiayong Lin
林佳永

MSPS MSRP
Clinical Psychologist
Registered Psychologist (SRP)

Chinese 中文

Jiayong is a Registered Clinical Psychologist with a deep clinical interest in child psychology and in special needs. He worked in various clinical and community settings such as KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), the Down Syndrome Association of Singapore (DSA), the MINDEF Defence Psychology Department, and was previously the Head of MINDS Ang Mo Kio. He holds a concurrent academic appointment as Senior Adjunct Lecturer at the National University of Singapore (NUS) teaching Parenting and Child Development.

Jiayong conducts neurodevelopmental and psychological diagnostic assessments for special needs (SEN) children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as testing for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability (ID), Global Developmental Delay (GDD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Specific Learning Disorders, and other developmental problems associated with sleep, feeding, toileting, school coping and social relationships. In addition, he is experienced in special education placement, and classroom and examination accommodations to optimise the learning environment and outcomes of children.

He also provides psychotherapy to children with special needs, adolescents and adults. He addresses Anxiety and Mood Disorders (e.g. Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Phobia, Depression), and social and behavioural problems of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder. He brings considerable life experience to therapy, having served six years in the Singapore Armed Forces as an Air Warfare Officer (Captain) and subsequently as a Defence Psychologist. He has experience assessing combat readiness and screening personnel for critical vocations and operations. Jiayong consults with pre-enlistees and their parents for National Service enlistment and vocational issues.

Jiayong adopts a client-centred, non-judgmental, systems-oriented approach in therapy.

Jiayong has worked with the following organisations in various professional and personal capacities:

In therapy, Jiayong employs a range of therapeutic modalities, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) with Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA), Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Active Support (AS), Treatment and Education for Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children (TEACCH), and Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P).

He has a special interest in parent training, marital and relationship counselling and community integration of persons with special needs.

As a father of two, he empathises with parents and caregivers of children with developmental issues with daily living skills, social relationships, academic performance, and emotional and behavioural coping. He believes that every child should be given the best chance at life at his or her full potential.

In his spare time, Jiayong is an avid reader of manga, exercise, and plays the drums (but never all at the same time). Jiayong conducts therapy in English and Mandarin.

Selected Publication & Conference Highlights

Media Engagements

Ψ AIA - “Childhood Psychological Conditions Sharing”
Ψ DrAnywhere - “Autism Sharing”
Ψ The New Paper - “Drug Abuse Among Young People Still a Concern: CNB”
Ψ Danaher - “Mental Wellness Sharing on Anxiety”
Ψ Twinkl - “How Early Education Can Help to Prevent School Bullying”

Awards, Accreditations & Other Appointments