Dyslexia group on the professional track

We agree with Dr Noel Chia that “Diagnosing dyslexia should be trans-disciplinary” (April 16) and that it should involve “not only psychologists but also speech-language therapists, counsellors and educational therapists”.

The Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) wishes to add that where necessary, occupational therapists and paediatricians should also be involved.

Dr Chia suggested that the DAS “can train more educational therapists to interpret assessment reports”. We are pleased to inform that the DAS has already adopted a trans-disciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to supporting DAS students.

This goes beyond assessment and diagnosis. Since 2010, all DAS educational therapists undergo a postgraduate module in diagnostic screening assessments for specific learning differences.

The DAS has increased its number of speech and language therapists to six, and we will be recruiting another occupational therapist this year. Their assessments are offered together with psychological assessments.

Annual testing to monitor student progress includes both normative tests by psychologists and informal tests by educational therapists. Our psychologists and therapists work side by side in support of students at our 11 centres here.

A good number of students attend both educational therapy and speech and language therapy sessions. We have started a team to facilitate counselling work throughout the organisation’s contact points.

We are also pleased to have dual-specialist staff, who are trained as a psychologist and an educational therapist or as a psychologist and a speech and language therapist.

Dual specialisation and a trans-disciplinary, multidisciplinary approach are professional directions the DAS will continue to work towards in the coming years.

However, such staff development and service provision will come at a significant cost.

The DAS must, therefore, work with the public to ensure that dyslexic children from lower income families will also receive the necessary professional help they deserve.