Presenters
Dr Sandra Sylvia Mascarenhas
Senior Consultant
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Dr. Sandra Mascarenhas is a Senior Consultant in the Department of Child Development (DCD), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). She completed her Higher Specialist training in Paediatrics and Community Child Health, UK in 2013. She also has a Post Graduate Diploma in Paediatric Neurodisability, Sheffield Hallam University, UK (2015). She is a fellow member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (FRCPCH). She has been working in DCD, KKH, Singapore since Jul 2014 and is involved in leading the preschool Learning and Behaviour service within the department, which assess preschool children presenting with learning and behaviour presentations. Her special interests are ADHD and Specific Learning disorders. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Duke- NUS medical school and is also on the teaching faculty of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore.Â
Nor Jannah Binte Ahmad
Educational Therapist
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Jannah is an Educational Therapist with the Department of Child Development (DCD) at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). She specializes in helping young learners develop essential literacy and numeracy skills, creating personalized learning strategies that address each child’s unique needs.
She is an Associate Educational Therapist with the Association of Educational Therapists (AET) and is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach.
In addition to her clinical work, Jannah has shared her expertise at notable events such as the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) Seminar Workshop in 2023 and the 14th AWWA Inclusion Experts Series.
With over a decade of experience working with preschool children, she is passionate about early intervention and its critical role in ensuring later academic success.
Dr Loh Chin Ee
Associate Professor
National Institute of Education
Chin Ee Loh is an Associate Professor at the English Language and Literature Department and Associate Dean (Partnerships) at the Office of Education Research at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. Her research focuses on young people’s reading at the intersection of globalisation and technological changes as well as the role of school libraries in fostering reading for pleasure and lifelong learning. She is the author of The Space and Practice of Reading: A Case Study of Reading and Social Class in Singapore and The Reading Lives of Teens: Research and Practice, by Routledge.
Edmen Leong
Director
DAS Specialised Educational Services
Edmen is the Director of Specialised Educational Services at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore, where he oversees various programs, including Preschool, Speech and Language Therapy, Math, Chinese, Prep 2 PSLE, and Speech and Drama Arts. He has recently submitted his PhD thesis on reading motivation for adolescents with dyslexia. In addition to his professional role, Edmen is a foster parent who has cared for several preschool and lower primary children, including his own, over the past few years. A passionate advocate for reading, Edmen nurtures a love for reading in both his workplace and at home. He firmly believes that every child has the potential to thrive and is dedicated to empowering educators and parents with strategies to support their development.
Evelyn Chan
Senior Occupational Therapist
NTUC First Campus Limited
After a decade of experience spanning various practice settings, occupational therapist Evelyn Chan has developed a keen interest in sensory processing challenges and inclusive classroom practices. In particular, she enjoys discussing and discovering new ways to support children with these struggles, in all areas of life.
Currently a senior occupational therapist with NTUC First Campus, Evelyn supports children with developmental and learning needs in mainstream preschool settings. She enjoys collaborating with school stakeholders to support children’s participation and engagement through creating inclusive learning environments. She is also passionate about promoting neurodiversity affirming practices in mainstream classroom settings.
When Evelyn is not in the classrooms with the children, she chases constant professional growth. She has undergone extensive training and certifications. Notably, she is trained in Sensory Integration with USC Chan Sensory Integration Continuing Education Certificate Program, and in Neuro-Developmental Treatment (C/NDT) with Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association.
She is currently serving as a council member with the Singapore Association of Occupational Therapists.
Pearllyn Kang
Assistant Director
DAS SpLD Assessment Services
Pearllyn joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2016 as a Specialist Psychologist. She has since completed the Master of Arts in Applied Psychology programme at the NIE and is a registered psychologist with the Singapore Psychological Society (Singapore Register of Psychologists).
Pearllyn is currently the Assistant Director of the SpLD Assessment Services at the DAS, a team that provides psycho-educational assessment services and facilitates the placement of students in learning programmes at the DAS. She also conducts psycho-educational assessments for children to determine their learning profile and is involved in the Research Committee at the DAS.
Kathleen Chan
Lead Psychologist
DAS SpLD Assessment Services
Kathleen joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2021 as a Senior Specialist Psychologist. She is part of the SpLD Assessment Services team, providing psycho-educational assessments for children and young adults. Kathleen graduated from Monash University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology, and from the RMIT in 2011 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours)(Psychology). Thereafter, she completed a Master of Psychology (Educational & Developmental) at Australian Catholic University in 2015. Prior to DAS, Kathleen worked in both clinical and educational settings in Australia, mainly supporting primary school-age children and young adults with a range of school-based and mental health issues.
Kathleen believes that every individual has the potential to thrive in life when given the right opportunities, skills and support. She has a strong passion to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults by building their resilience and resources to help overcome their limitations and adversities.
Kathleen is a registered psychologist with the Singapore Register of Psychologists and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. She is also a full member of the Singapore Psychological Society and the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Hellows Diddee
Senior Speech and Language Therapist
Asian Women’s Welfare Association, (AWWA)
Hellows Diddee is an SLT from AWWA PSS. She has a work experience of 11 years in different settings such as SPEd schools, Early Intervention Centres and also with Adults with Autism. She has completed her Bachelors and Master’s Degree in Speech-Language-Pathology. She has been actively involved in parent/caregivers and teacher training focusing on child-led approaches and empowering of caregivers.
Faith Yang
Speech and Language Therapist
Asian Women’s Welfare Association, (AWWA)
Faith Yang is a dedicated speech and language therapist with six years of experience working with children and their families. She graduated with a Master’s degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2018. Faith has worked extensively with children in both early intervention and mainstream preschool environments. She values an evidence-based and family-centred approach, believing it to be the most effective in helping each child maximise their speech and language abilities to reach their full potential.
Faith is committed to expanding her expertise in her areas of interest, which include current evidence-based practices, speech and language intervention approaches, effective techniques for engaging caregivers and teachers, and communication intervention for infants and children with Down Syndrome.
Dr June Siew
Head of DAS Academy
Dr. June Siew heads the DAS Academy and a strong advocate for inclusive education. She holds a Doctor in Education from University College London and Nanyang Technological University, is a Fellow with the Register of Educational Therapists (Asia).
Dr June Siew provides thought leadership in the field of special educational needs (SEN), focusing on dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. She passionately believes that the family and community are key to a child’s success and works closely with them to help diverse learners thrive.
Dr. June is an accomplished speaker and trainer. She is an esteemed educator at National Institute of Education and the Ministry of Education and frequent guest speaker at local and overseas conferences on special needs.
Dr Priscillia Shen
Assistant Head of DAS Academy
Dr Priscillia Shen began her special education journey as an Educational Therapist at DAS since 2005. Her previous experience working closely with struggling learners has allowed her to take on a constructive and practical pedagogical approach in her teaching practice.
She believes in keeping up with current research and developments in the field to continually refine teaching practices and maintain professional passion. Her research interests are in dyslexia, bilingualism, Chinese language, and Mathematics.
Raihana Hashim
DAS Senior Educational Therapist
Raihana is a Senior Educational Therapist at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) and has been providing early literacy intervention in the DAS Preschool Programme since 2016. She is a member of the Preschool Core Team, and assists with program-related matters. Additionally, as a preschool awareness speaker at DAS, Raihana actively promotes the importance of early literacy support for preschoolers who may be at risk of dyslexia or face early literacy developmental delays. She is also an associate fellow of the Register of Educational Therapists Asia (RETA) and is currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
She believes in keeping up with current research and developments in the field to continually refine teaching practices and maintain professional passion. Her research interests are in dyslexia, bilingualism, Chinese language, and Mathematics.
Shakthi Sathiasilan
DAS Lead Educational Therapist
Shakthi is a Lead Educational Therapist at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS). Since 2015, she has been working with preschoolers with early learning difficulties, as well as primary and secondary students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences. As a member of the Preschool Core Team, Shakthi assists with program-related matters. She is also deeply interested in integrating research into teaching practices and serves on the DAS Research Committee. Shakthi is an associate fellow of the Register of Educational Therapists Asia (RETA) and holds a Master of Education in Special Education from Nanyang Technological University.
Weng Yiyao
DAS Preschool Programme Manager and Lead Educational Therapist
Yiyao is the Lead Educational Therapist and Preschool Programme Manager at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS). Since 2014, she has worked with both preschoolers and school-aged students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences. Yiyao is passionate about empowering learners by equipping them with skills to overcome their challenges. As a programme manager Yiyao oversees the programmes and manages the development and implementation of the preschool program to ensure it meets the unique needs of its young learners. She is also a fellow of the Register of Educational Therapists Asia (RETA) and holds a Master of Arts in Special Educational Needs from the University of South Wales.
