Fehmina Khan is no stranger to SpLD learners as her teaching career, which began in 1997, led her to encounter many students who were struggling in school due to their different learning needs. The student experiences struck a deep chord with her and she began to actively seek out skills and knowledge through several courses such as the Orton Gillingham Teacher Training course and courses from the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) and the Dyslexia Association Singapore (DAS) that would help her empower these children.

Fehmina is an Educational Therapist at Links, a Council of British International Schools (COBIS) affiliated school in Karachi, Pakistan. Her experience in teaching students with learning differences eventually led her to teaching children with special learning needs from economically impoverished backgrounds. While she has touched the lives of many children and watched her students successfully make their way into college, each student to her feels like a beacon of hope- a hope for their own future and growth.

Fehmina is an Associate Fellow in the Register of Educational Therapists, Asia (RETA). After attending certificate courses at DAS, she appreciated how advanced Singapore is in supporting students with learning differences. RETA has therefore been an important learning platform for her and she has been able to import so many ideas and techniques to make learning easier, and more fun for her students in Pakistan.

So, what continues to put a smile on her face while working in the field of SpLD? Fehmina shares that it is the small achievements by her students; be it passage reading without mistakes or a math sum solved independently! Fehmina believes the key to helping a child succeed is patience and a strong belief that every small step matters. She feels that all schools should cater to students with special educational needs and adapt their curriculum according to these students’ strengths.

Her words of wisdom,

‘Special Educational needs is never a hurdle that you can’t cross. With strong willpower and proper support, you can achieve anything! No one can stop you!’

Similarly, Fehmina has not let anything stop her in her mission to help learners achieve!