$280k boost for project to help post-secondary students with dyslexia

ITE student Maxx Ng, 18, has benefited from iStudySmart, an e-learning programme that provides post-secondary support to dyslexic students. PHOTO: DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
ITE student Maxx Ng, 18, has benefited from iStudySmart, an e-learning programme that provides post-secondary support to dyslexic students. PHOTO: DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

When Maxx Ng was in secondary school, he worried that his dyslexia might have an adverse impact on his studies when he moved on to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), where research and presentation skills are put to the test.

He took an e-learning programme which taught him how to present projects and work well in a team.

Now in his second year of community care and social services studies at ITE College East, the 18-year-old said the iStudySmart programme had been effective in helping him to excel.

He is one of 40 dyslexic students to have enrolled in the programme since its pilot in 2018.

iStudySmart is currently the only support programme catering to post-secondary students, which utilises e-learning to impart skills on time management, organisation, tertiary learning and presentation.

But more support is in the pipeline for students with dyslexia, a learning disorder that can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling.

Yesterday, the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) said it plans to help at least 100 more students under an initiative called 360° Pact Project.

Over $280,000 in funding was provided by Lim Hoon Foundation (LHF) during a cheque presentation at DAS Rex House Learning Centre yesterday.

The project will support students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties in institutes of higher learning (IHLs) in Singapore.

"While people do not outgrow dyslexia, with timely and effective intervention, they can be put on the best path to achieve success on their learning journey," said Mr Lee Siang, chief executive officer of DAS.

Over the next three years, the project hopes to raise awareness of dyslexia in IHLs, provide enhanced support for post-secondary students who come from the sandwiched class or low-income families, and conduct research alongside a local university.

The collaboration with DAS is especially meaningful for LHF director Andy Lim, who has dyslexia.

He felt that research data will play a pivotal role in providing the necessary support for students in the long run, noting a lack of Asia-centric or local research.

"I look forward to DAS publishing local data on dyslexia that will, hopefully, go a long way in informing how this condition can be better addressed in our country," said Mr Lim.

ITE student Ng hopes that the collaboration will help many others like himself succeed in post-secondary education. He has witnessed first-hand how people with dyslexia, especially those who are not aware that they have the condition, struggle to keep up with the academic regimen.

"Just because we're different, (it) doesn't mean we are deficient," he added.

This article has been edited for accuracy.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 12, 2021, with the headline $280k boost for project to help post-secondary students with dyslexia. Subscribe