international forum

CEO - Dyslexia Association of Singapore
Co-Editor, The Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education

Siang Lee joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2001 and became its Chief Executive Officer in 2014. He sits on the Board of DAS subsidiaries, DAS Academyand DAS International. Siang served on the Board of the US-based International Dyslexia Association and was the Chair of its Global Partners Programme Committee from 2016 to 2018 and he still remains a member of the Global Partners Committee representing Singapore. He has been awarded the International Dyslexia Association’s Excellence in Leadership Award 2020. Siang obtained his degree from the National University of Singapore via the sponsorship of the Singapore Armed Forces. He holds a Certificate in Dyslexia Studies and a Post Graduate Certificates in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and in Specific Learning Differences from London Metropolitan University as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Management from the Singapore Institute of Management and an MBA from the University of Western Australia.

Read more here:

Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education

Professor, Child Development and Special Education
Director,  Centre for Child and Family Science
The Education University of Hong Kong

Kevin Kien Hoa Chung, PhD, is a professor of child development and special education and the director of the Centre for Child and Family Science at the Education University of Hong Kong. He was a former head of two departments: The Department of Special Education and Counselling and The Department of Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining the University, Kevin was an assistant professor and programme director of the Master of Education (Special and Inclusive Education), Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. He was a high school teacher in Australia before embarking on an academic career. His research and teaching areas focus on developmental dyslexia and learning disabilities, literacy acquisition, assessment and instruction, cognitive and social-emotional development and inclusive education.

Read more here:

Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education

Executive Director, Institute of Behavioural Psychology

Anushka Daroga Kharadi is the Executive Director at the Institute of Behavioural Psychology in Pakistan, where she oversees the Academic, Remedial and Therapeutic activities of the Institute. Having done her Masters in Human Development from the University of Karachi, and her Montessori Diploma from the Association Montessori Internationale, Anushka brings extensive experience of working with mainstream and special needs students in her 32 years long experience in the field of education. Anushka has worked in both Pakistan and Canada and has served as a Principal in Shaheen Public School and also set up a Teacher Training Institute for Falcon House School before finally setting up her own Montessori school in Pakistan. Apart from her professional obligations, Anushka also volunteers on the Managing Committee of the Bai Virbaijee School (BVS), which is one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in Pakistan.

Read more here:

Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, LATVIAN DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION

Eva Birzniece, PhD, is the founder and director of the NGO Pro Futuro which started advocacy for students with dyslexia in Latvia in 2004 and which later became Latvian Dyslexia Association. Eva holds her doctoral degree in philology but her parallel interest as a teacher of English has been reading and writing acquisition and difficulties some students face with these academic skills both in their native and foreign languages. She is author and co-author of several books about dyslexia and evidence-based remediation and accommodation,including the use of ICT.

Read more here:

Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education

CO-FOUNDER & BOARD MEMBER, LATVIAN DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION 

Thomas Schmit is a graduate of the Canisius College of Buffalo with a BA in Biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Since moving to Latvia in 2001, he has worked as a teacher, university administrator and consultant. In addition to his professional endeavours, Tom is a co-founder and board member of the Latvian Dyslexia Association. He has been an active advocate of people with dyslexia and has written a number of projects that have been funded at local, national and EU levels. Tom has also participated in a number of research projects in Latvia that have helped decision makers understand the extent of dyslexia in Latvia and how students, professionals and administrators perceive the issue.

Read more here:

Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education

MANDY NAYTON OAM
EXECUTIVE OFFICER,  DSF Literacy and Clinical Services
PRESIDENT, AUSPELD

Mandy Nayton is the CEO of DSF Literacy and Clinical Services and President of AUSPELD (the Australian Federation of Specific Educational Learning Difficulties Associations). She is an educational and developmental psychologist and qualified primary school teacher with extensive experience in the field of literacy education. Mandy supports schools with literacy planning and provides professional development in the areas of literacy acquisition, vocabulary development, working memory, learning difficulties and the assessment of learning disorders.

She was a member of the Federal Government’s Dyslexia Working Party in 2009/2010, a member of the Schools Disability Advisory Council in 2012/2013 and was the recipient of the LDA Mona Tobias Award in 2015. Mandy is an Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin University’s School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, has conducted research in collaboration with UWA, Curtin and Macquarie Universities, and was recently awarded an OAM for her services in the fields of education and learning difficulties.

Read more here:

Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education

ANABERTA OEHLERS-JAEN
HEAD, DAS INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMMES
DYSLEXIA  ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

Ms Anaberta Oehlers-Jaen started her career at the DAS in 2005 as an Educational Therapist and has since held various portfolios. For 4 years, she was the Preschool Manager of the DAS Preschool Service and was actively involved with children at risk of literacy delay and helped to launch the service at DAS. She assumed the position of Head of DAS International in 2011 to support both the local and expatriate international community of students, who may be experiencing learning differences through Specialist tutoring and Assessments. In her role as Maths Programme Director in 2014, Anaberta has presented at International conferences delivered in Singapore, the ASEAN region and the UK.

She is also actively involved in research and has published articles in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences. She holds a Master's Degree in Special Needs from NTU, a BA (English Language and Literature) from SUSS, a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from the London Metropolitan University as well as a Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers (Dyslexia), along with Early Childhood Diplomas. She is also a qualified trainer with the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) by the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ). She has Fellow status at RETA, Register of Educational Therapists (Asia) and is also a Senior Educational Therapist. Delivering a professional service to the families of students with Specific Learning Differences is high on her priority and hopes to continue to serve this community both in Singapore and the region.

Read more here:

Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education