KEYNOTE PRESENTERS

John Stein is Emeritus Professor of Neuroscience, Dept. Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and Fellow of Magdalen College, University of Oxford. After preclinical studies at New College, Oxford, John trained as a clinical neurologist at St Thomas’s Hospital, London SE1, Leicester and Oxford. From 1970 – 2008 he was a Fellow and Tutor in Medicine and Physiological Sciences at Magdalen. In theory ‘retired’ he still teaches neuroscience to medical and psychology students and his research still focuses on the role of vision and nutrition in the control of movement and behaviour in neurological patients, dyslexics and young offenders. John doesn’t cook fish; his brother TV fish chef, Rick Stein, doesn’t do neuroscience!

www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/team/john-stein

Does Developmental Dyslexia really Exist?

For most of the 20th C. developmental dyslexia was diagnosed on the basis of finding a discrepancy between normal or high oral and nonverbal reasoning ability, yet unexpectedly low reading and spelling skills. This discrepancy criterion has now been undermined by the claim that dyslexics all suffer a phonological deficit. Hence it is argued that we should measure this to identify dyslexia. However, since grasping the phonological principle is essential for learning to read, this phonological criterion makes it impossible to distinguish developmental dyslexia from any of the many other causes of reading failure. Instead, we need to understand the specific physiological mechanisms that underlie dyslexics’ failure to acquire phonological skills. An important cause is probably impaired development of the brain’s rapid temporal processing systems; these are required for sequencing accurately the order of the sounds and letters in a word. Such temporal, ‘transient’, processing is probably carried out in all parts of the brain primarily by a distinct set of ‘magnocellular’ neurones, and the development of these has been found to be impaired in most people with dyslexia. Therefore, assessing poor readers’ auditory and visual temporal processing skills should enable dyslexia to be reliably distinguished from other causes of reading failure and this will suggest principled ways of helping these children to learn to read, such as magnocellular training, blue or yellow filters and omega 3 fatty acid supplements.

Key words: IQ, discrepancy, phonology, temporal processing, magnocellular, visual, auditory, colour filters, rhythm, omega 3.

Dr Levan LIM is an Associate Professor at the Psychology and Child & Human Development Academic Group at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. He obtained his PhD in special education from Lehigh University (Pennsylvania, USA), and has previously worked at Charles Sturt University and the University of Queensland (both in Australia). He was Head of the Early Childhood & Special Needs Education Academic Group from 2009 to 2018 which was the department at NIE responsible for teacher education in special needs at the pre-service, in-service and graduate levels. His research, teaching and service commitments and interests are focused on the inclusion of persons with disabilities, teacher development for inclusion, and intentional communities.

The Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs in Singapore

There has been much progress achieved towards the inclusion for students with special educational needs in Singapore during the past two decades. There are currently many more students with special educational needs in mainstream schools compared with numbers in the past and in special education schools. This keynote presentation provides a contextual understanding of how the inclusion of students with special educational needs has evolved to become a key educational agenda in Singapore through national initiatives, educational systemic enhancements, and teacher education playing an important role in the preparation of school personnel. This presentation concludes with a discussion of issues, challenges and future directions that are relevant to the evolvement of inclusion for students with special educational needs in Singapore.

Geetha Shantha Ram

FELLOW of Register of Educational Therapists (ASIA) RETA

Director of SpLD Assessment Services, English Language and Literacy Division, Staff Professional Development and Research Chair

Geetha Shantha Ram joined DAS on 16 August 2004 and assumed the post of Director of the English Language and Literacy (ELL) Programmes on 1 December 2014, which includes the Main Literacy Programme (MLP) and has led curriculum enhancements for the DAS through the Essential Literacy Approach and the current integrated MLP curriculum. Besides ELL, Geetha oversees the SpLD Assessment Service and Staff Professional Development division, where she led the development of professional pathways and quality assurance of all educational efforts. She also heads the DAS Research Committee and is an advisor in the Register of Educational therapists (Asia) (RETA).

Formerly, the Assistant Director of the DAS Academy, Geetha trained Allied educators, parents, and other professionals and continues to present at conferences, most recently at the 2020 International Dyslexia Association Conference.

Geetha has a Masters in English (NUS) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (Distinction) (LMU) and is currently pursuing her doctorate in the area of twice-exceptionality. With over 15 years of experience supporting children and adults in the area of dyslexia, Geetha aims to provide a quality service to dyslexics that searches for and realises their true potential and provide them with a view to appreciate their own unique abilities.

Deborah Hewes

Assistant Director of Publicity and Publications and Managing Editor of DAS Publications

Deborah has been with DAS since May 2011. Deborah has dyslexia and passionate about raising awareness about learning differences. All three of her children have learning differences and as a result, she has spent most of the last 20 years supporting her children’s academic careers as well as helping other families with children who have learning differences. Deborah has lived in Singapore since 2001 and she has devoted the first 10 years working in an International School as a Learning Support Assistant and parent volunteer supporting students who learn differently with math, reading and literacy. She has also worked as a shadow assistant for students with behavioural issues, ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome.

Deborah completed her Psychology honours degree at Singapore University of Social Sciences and her thesis was titled “Adolescents with learning disabilities: an investigation of academic self‐concept, self‐esteem and depression in International school students.” Deborah graduated from the University of South Wales with a Masters in Special Education Needs with Merit in 2019. Her dissertation researched "Singaporean Entrepreneurs and Dyslexia"

Deborah is the Managing Editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences and the annual DAS Handbook. In 2015, she edited the first book of its kind in Singapore, “Embrace a Different Kind of Mind—Personal Stories of Dyslexia” and in 2017 designed and published the 25th-Anniversary book for DAS, “Clearly Different-Dyscovering the Differences”

Dyslexia, the Whole Picture and the 360 degree Perspective

(Presenting Live in Singapore)

This talk will be framed by the 5 principles under the Embrace dyslexia commitment which are:

1. Educate - raise awareness about dyslexia,

2. Explore opportunities to work with Dyslexia organisations,

3. Champion the strengths of dyslexic individuals,

4. Donate to support low-resourced families and

5. Declare commitment as an Advocate who Embraces Dyslexia.

Through an exploration of current literature, various studies by the Dyslexia Association of Singapore such as the 2020 “Part Strong part weak and bullied” and 2019 “High ability and Entrepreneurial success”, we offer ‘Embrace Dyslexia’ as a possible framework for individuals and organisations keen to participate in the global movement highlighting the strengths of people with dyslexia as they urge for change within their communities.

Founder & Executive Dyslexic, NoticeAbility, Inc.

Dean Bragonier is the Founder and Executive Dyslexic of NoticeAbility Inc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students with dyslexia identify their unique strengths and build self-esteem. Shaped by the challenges associated with his dyslexia and after struggling through the traditional secondary education system, Dean became a diligent and successful college student who developed a true love of learning at Bates College. Upon graduation, Dean embraced his entrepreneurial instincts and acquired a small seasonal restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard Island that he transformed into a successful full-scale enterprise. It was through this endeavoUr that he was able to contextualize his years of laborious academic learning and discover the true gifts of his own dyslexic mind. As a social entrepreneur, Dean has founded his own nonprofit organizations and served as a board member and advisor to a number of others. NoticeAbility is the culmination of Dean’s passion for education and his conviction that the advantages of dyslexia far outweigh its associated challenges.

www.noticeability.org