Featured RETA Members
Jan-Mar 2024: Rosalyn Wee
Rosalyn Wee
Fellow
Since joining DAS in June 2010, Rosalyn Wee has been a valuable member of the Curriculum Team, specializing in enhancing educational therapist curricula. Currently, she leads initiatives such as the Main Literacy Programme (MOE-aided), iReaCH, and iStudySmart. With a Master’s in Applied Linguistics from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and 11 years of teaching diverse learners, Rosalyn serves as a certified WSQ trainer and Adjunct Lecturer at DAS. In addition to training educational therapists, she actively engages in dyslexia awareness talks and contributes her research to various DAS publications.
Why did you choose to work in the field of SpLD?
I worked in a brain development enrichment centre many years and I wondered to myself why some of my students took a much longer time to meet certain developmental milestones. After I did some research in the education sector, I realised that I wanted to do more to help this children and that was when I chanced upon an opportunity to work with struggling learners such as dyslexia and other SpLDs.
What is one thing that never fails to make you smile in the work that you do?
Even though it is great when my students finally get the correct answer or remember what I taught them, it is when they display courage and tenacity that makes me feel happy.
What do you think is the most important quality/value/belief a person must have when working in the field of Special Education?
Students with SpLD might take a longer time to internalise concepts and strategies taught, therefore, a belief that all students will get there eventually is something that all educators need to have when working in the field of Special Education.
What is the one thing you would do to improve special education in your country?
In Singapore, there is an increasing number of people becoming aware of the term Dyslexia and other related SpLDs, but they do not know what it actually means and how it might affect people in their everyday lives and for the rest of their lives. Take Dyslexia for example, it is a lifelong difficulty, but many think that Dyslexia can be outgrown by the time they graduate from secondary school and go into tertiary education. I am currently part of a team in DAS aiming to help increase awareness that is specialised help for students transiting from secondary school to tertiary education and beyond.
What motivated you to become a RETA member and how has it benefitted you?
I became a RETA member when it first started and I have enjoyed going for RETA events such as webinars to learn from other practitioners in the field of Special Education.
What advice would you give someone who has special educational needs or lives/works with people with special educational needs?
If you have special educational needs, or if you live or work with people with special educational needs, continue to be patient, kind and empathetic. It takes experience and knowledge to know how to live with one another to really become one inclusive society.