For as long as he could remember, Jayden struggled with literacy. Reading and writing was always a challenge and he took a long time before he started reading independently. His parents recalled how he would stare at books and struggle to make sense of the words. The problems became noticeably worse when Jayden started Primary school as the work got harder and more demands were placed on his reading ability. Jayden was slower than his peers in learning and processing various concepts taught in school.
“I found it very difficult to visualise and understand math problem sums when doing practice papers,” he recounted. “In addition, I struggled a lot with English as I would get stuck when it came down to spelling, reading and pronunciation.” Jayden was falling behind in school and getting increasingly demotivated. When he was in Primary 5, Jayden’s parents decided to seek answers and consulted with Frances Yeo of FY Psychology.
During the first meeting with Jayden and his parents, Frances listened as they outlined their concerns. She had asked them to bring samples of his schoolwork and after a quick review, she suggested a diagnostic assessment for dyslexia.
Understanding What Is Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a neurological condition and has no relation to the individual’s intelligence level, physical development or education. Instead, this condition is something that one is born with, the result of which the brain is unable to perceive or process letters and words in the way others not born with this condition are able to.
How Common Is Dyslexia in Singapore
According to statistics and various research studies, dyslexia’s estimated prevalence is about 4% to 10% of Singapore’s school-going population. It is a hidden handicap, and the disabilities are manifested in how the brain processes graphic symbols (letters) and the sounds of words. It affects reading, spelling, and the ability to match letters to sounds.
How Dyslexia Affects the Individual
The effects of dyslexia vary from person to person. However, most individuals with dyslexia generally have trouble reading quickly and reading without making mistakes. They may also have trouble understanding what they read. Students with dyslexia often have limited working memory capacity. Working memory is crucial for learning and refers to the ability to hold and manipulate information mentally over short periods of time.
Limited working capacity causes difficulties in:
- Holding sounds in working memory and to blend sounds together
- Holding and sequencing sounds for spelling
- Composing, holding, and connecting ideas in written text.
- Hold on to and integrate information we read early on in a passage and with information that comes later. This affects reading comprehension and reading fluency.
Symptoms Of Dyslexia
Individuals with dyslexia may exhibit different symptoms, which generally include:
- Reading below the expected level for their age or grade
- Confusing letters that look alike
- Reverse letter sequences e.g. “was” for “saw”, “on” for “no”
- An inability to sound out the pronunciation of an unfamiliar word
- Difficulties in finding the right word or forming answers to questions
- Difficulties remembering and understanding text passages
- Making multiple spelling errors when completing essays and open-ended questions
- Spending an exceptional amount of time completing tasks involving reading or writing
Getting Access to Dyslexia Support In Singapore
Being diagnosed with dyslexia does not have to spell the end of hopes and ambitions. While having the condition does impair reading and can affect learning and academic performance, getting early and comprehensive support can help dyslexic children overcome deficits in reading, writing and go on to achieve success in school and their later careers.
With the diagnostic test results in-hand, Jayden’s parents communicated with his school and worked to get him additional help in the classroom to ensure he was able to achieve the learning objectives. He was also given access arrangements during examinations and was taught by an educator who specialised in teaching kids with dyslexia.
Children With Dyslexia Are Able To Learn Better With Specialised Instruction
Students with dyslexia need specialized reading instruction that explicitly teaches systematic word-identification or word decoding strategies. “My teacher taught me various techniques such as breaking down long words, pronouncing and spelling them out,” Jayden said.
Overcoming dyslexia takes time and is a gradual process of incremental progress. This was true in Jayden’s case as well and it took some time before he started seeing tangible results.
“Even though it was a slow process, I was able to speak confidently and became proficient in spelling after a year or so,” he relates. He also adds that he didn’t immediately do better in examinations and tests in primary school. “But as I entered secondary school, I found that the strategies I learnt helped me tremendously,” he says. “I was able to absorb and process information quickly and more efficiently.”
One strategy was making bite-sized summary notes next to each paragraph during English examinations. This served as a quick refresher about the contents of individual paragraphs, helping him better digest the passages.
Now a confident 19-year-old who has just completed his A Levels, Jayden credits the early diagnosis for much of the progress he has made over the years. Once he understood his condition, his motivation changed and he no longer felt helpless and hopeless. Instead, his struggles motivated him to work doubly hard and has shaped him into the determined person he is today. He advises other students with dyslexia to stay resilient and trust the learning process even though coping with studies may be challenging at the start.
“Although it was a long and arduous process, the strategies and tips I learnt became a strong foundation for me throughout my life, not just in my studies,” Jake acknowledges. “I’d encourage those who are struggling now to continue working hard. One day, the skills you are learning will help you tremendously.”
How FY Psychology Helps Children With Dyslexia
As Jayden’s experience shows, getting diagnosed for dyslexia early and receiving right and timely intervention is key to overcoming the condition. FY Psychology was established by Frances Yeo, an experienced and qualified psychologist with years of experience in public and private healthcare. She leads a team of qualified psychologists supported by associated speech and language therapists and special needs trained teachers. The highly experienced team at FY Psychology are qualified to offer diagnostic assessments, school consultation and specialised curriculums with for children with learning difficulties such dyslexia, autism, ADHD and language delays.
The team at FY Psychology are motivated by helping children achieve their fullest potential. Such has always been their guiding light and comes across when speaking with the team at FY Psychology. To help children with learning difficulties achieve their potential, FY Psychology team works with MandarinStars, and employs structured Chinese programmes derived from research-proven teaching methods (e.g. Orton-Gillingham techniques for reading and spelling instruction). Each student is assessed before enrolment, so interventions are targeted to address specific learning needs. For instance, students with weak auditory working memory would be equipped with more visual supports to enable learning.
Teaching and student materials are specially written by the experienced team, and closely aligned with the Ministry of Education’s curriculum, to match what students learn in mainstream schools. Lessons are designed to be sequential meaning that students are taught basic concepts and progressively taught more difficult and advance concepts. In addition, each lessons are cumulative, building on concepts which they had learned. We use multi-sensorial activities and technology to make learning fun, dynamic and engaging.
As children with learning difficulties often suffer from poor self-esteem, the centre’s programmes also equip them with essential life skills. By breaking down learning into manageable parts, FY Psychology helps children build self-confidence and a sense of independent inquiry, empowering them to succeed in school and beyond.
Find out more about specialised learning programs at https://mandarinstars.sg