We’re on a mission to bring you advice and insights from incredible profiles on neurodiversity: parents, leaders, and friends like you. This time, the team of Lexic Minds had the pleasure and privilege of interviewing Vanessa Teo. In a world where neurodiversity is often misunderstood or overlooked, she stands out with her dual perspective as a mother of two dyslexic boys and an HR leader advocating for inclusivity in the workplace.

Vanessa has shared stories of challenge, success, and empathy with our community along with valuable tips for parents and corporate leaders with the purpose of growing inclusion at work. We hope you find comfort and inspiration in the entry here, which contains the top highlights from the session.

To listen to the complete interview with Vanessa Teo, click the YouTube video here.

Vanessa’s Journey: Dyslexia Parenting and Professional Insights

How did Vanessa’s journey begin with her sons’ dyslexia diagnoses?

Vanessa’s journey into dyslexia began with her younger son, Asha. Around the age of six, as he started primary grade one in Singapore, Vanessa noticed he was struggling with reading and writing. Despite enjoying being read to, Asha found reading by himself challenging. This difficulty caused Vanessa’s mother, a former teacher, to suggest getting a diagnosis.

As Asha’s spelling test scores came back less than ideal and he took longer to learn spellings compared to his older brother, Vanessa decided to pursue a professional evaluation.

The family consulted a clinical psychologist in Singapore, who conducted tests over multiple sessions. The diagnosis confirmed that Asha had dyslexia. This is when the psychologist explained that dyslexia can be hereditary and advised Vanessa to watch for signs in her older son as well who eventually got diagnosed too.

What is it like to parent two dyslexic children in Singapore’s education system?

Parenting two dyslexic children in Singapore’s education system came as a unique challenge for Vanessa. The primary medium of instruction is English, but (fun fact!) students also learn Mandarin as a second language. Vanessa found that her sons faced difficulties in both languages, so they needed techniques to cope with multiple language learning environments.

The diagnosis helped Vanessa and her husband as parents because it provided them with the knowledge and understanding to better support their children. They could now approach their children’s education with empathy and personalized plans.

In this testimonial, you can see the importance of early intervention and maintaining a close observation of a child’s learning needs. Vanessa recommends parents trust their instincts and pursue a diagnosis if they sense unanticipated difficulties in their child’s reading and writing skills, especially once traditional education begins.

Tips and Strategies for Supporting Dyslexic Children

What are three tips for supporting dyslexic children in their education?

From the session, we can take three main tips to support your little ones with dyslexia:

1. Pursue early diagnosis and intervention: Early identification of dyslexia allows for timely support and personalized strategies.
2. Identify and celebrate strengths: Focus on your child’s abilities and talents beyond traditional academic measures. Do they love dancing instead of reading? Go for it. Do they have AMAZING verbal communication skills? Let’s change writing to explaining out loud or use an AI tool!
3. Educate yourself and advocate: Learn about dyslexia and be prepared to advocate for your child’s necessities in the education system.

What were the biggest challenges a mother can face in supporting dyslexic children?

These are some challenges that moms of dyslexic children can encounter after getting a diagnosis:

1. The education system: Ensuring children receive appropriate support and accommodations in school.
2. Balancing support and independence: Encouraging self-advocacy in your child while providing necessary assistance.

What strengths do dyslexic children have?

Vanessa noticed three dyslexic strengths in her children:

1. Out-of-the-box thinking: Vanessa’s boys demonstrate an incredible capacity to think creatively and see connections others might miss.
2. Athletic potential: Her older son excels in various sports with natural talent and quick skill acquisition.
3. Verbal communication and empathy: Her younger son is verbally expressive, creative, and highly empathetic with an intuitive ability to read social situations!

Tools and Strategies for Success with Dyslexia

What educational approaches can be the most helpful for dyslexic children?

Vanessa shared with us these dyslexia strategies that she has utilized with her children:

1. Educational therapy: Focused sessions using specific techniques to address dyslexia-related challenges.
2. Orton-Gillingham method: A structured, multisensory approach to teaching reading and writing.
3. Breaking tasks into smaller fragments: Teaching the boys to approach larger assignments by dividing them into manageable parts.

How can I support my dyslexic children’s learning at home?

Each child is unique. Vanessa shared with us her techniques and hacks, for example:

1. Providing a supportive environment: Creating a space where her sons feel comfortable discussing their challenges and successes.
2. Encouraging self-advocacy: Teaching her children to communicate their needs and ask for help when necessary. Expert note: Many parents in our community have highlighted the importance of this.
3. Celebrating diverse strengths: Recognizing and nurturing talents beyond traditional academic measures.

Dyslexia in the Workplace: HR Perspective

What challenges do dyslexic individuals face in corporate environments?

Vanessa, pulling from her extensive HR experience, identifies several challenges:

1. Lack of understanding: Many workplaces lack awareness or misunderstand what dyslexia is. In the later years, there have been big changes, however, many businesses and corporations still require education and awareness activities.
2. Misconceptions about abilities: Dyslexic individuals’ struggles with reading, writing, or time management can be mistaken as laziness or disorganization. It’s not the case!
3. Traditional work environments: Many workplaces rely heavily on skills that may be challenging for dyslexic individuals and do not provide the necessary accommodations.

How can organizations create more inclusive environments for neurodiverse employees?

Vanessa suggests several strategies for creating inclusive workplaces:

1. Raise awareness: Provide comprehensive training for managers and teams to understand dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.
2. Offer accommodations: Implement flexible work arrangements and provide digital tools for time management and writing tasks.
3. Support and highlight their strengths: Place neurodiverse individuals in roles where they can capitalize on their unique abilities, for example, ask yourself: ‘Where or how can they connect dots strategically or innovatively?’

What can help dyslexic individuals in the workplace?

Vanessa, as an HR leader, shared the following advice:

1. Self-advocacy: Prepare to communicate your needs and strengths to managers and colleagues effectively.
2. Utilize available tools: Take advantage of AI and digital tools to assist with tasks like speech-to-text conversion and time management.

Promoting Neurodiversity in the Corporate World

How can HR leaders champion neurodiversity in their organizations?

According to Vanessa, HR and corporate leaders can become neurodiversity advocates and incredible leaders with strategies such as:

1. Leading by example: Advocating for neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at the leadership level.
2. Implementing comprehensive training: Educating managers and employees about neurodiversity and inclusive practices. Manager training can go a long way when supporting dyslexic thinking.
3. Designing inclusive workplaces: Creating environments to support various working styles and needs.

How can managers better support neurodiverse team members?

Vanessa stresses the importance of intuitive and observant management:

1. Understand individual strengths: Identify each team member’s unique abilities and allocate them accordingly.
2. Provide appropriate projects: Assign tasks that allow neurodiverse individuals to use their strengths.
3. Offer necessary accommodations: Be open to adjusting work arrangements or providing tools to support neurodiverse employees.

Dyslexia Advice for Parents

What advice does Vanessa offer to parents of dyslexic children?

1. Trust your instincts: Parents often sense when their child is struggling; don’t hesitate to get a professional evaluation or test new strategies when required.
2. Welcome the diagnosis: Understanding dyslexia can give you the tools to support your child better!

Vanessa motivates parents to accept their children’s strengths and reminds organizational leaders of their responsibility to create inclusive workplaces.

By the way, did you like the session or insights on this page? Listen to Vanessa’s podcast on Spotify or Apple.

Vanessa’s dual perspective as a parent and HR leader offers invaluable insights for anyone navigating the world of dyslexia and neurodiversity. Her experiences and advice show that with the right support, understanding, and tools, dyslexic individuals can prosper in education and the workplace without unnecessary struggles. 🩵

Sources:

Genetics of dyslexia: the evolving landscape

Read Other Spotlights:

ADHD and Autism: Adult Diagnosis and Daily Life Hacks

Dyslexia Through the Decades: PhD Simon Lappi’s Academic and Professional Success