It’s okay to be different! – helping young children to embrace dyslexia

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects one’s ability to read, spell and write. Research in the UK has shown that 85% of dyslexics have reported being embarrassed by their condition because they are often misunderstood to be “stupid and lazy.” Given that dyslexia is a lifelong condition, most sufferers develop low self-esteem and social anxiety during childhood and this persists into adulthood.

The designer of this project is dyslexic and have experienced ill-effects of the conditions as a child. She believes that it is imperative that dyslexic children must learn to embrace and be aware of their conditions while they are young in order to better cope with the challenges that they will face as they transit into adulthood.

This project is the result of her own first-hand experience as a dyslexic and by working together with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS), it aims to help dyslexic children between 7 – 10 years old to dispel negative connotations associated with the diagnosis. Separating facts from myths is her approach to help dyslexic children identify their strengths and weaknesses and in doing so, help them develop better self-confidence as they transit into adulthood.