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Around 10% of the world’s population have dyslexia. According to some sources, this could be as high as 15 to 20% - whatever the actual figure, it’s one of the world’s most common neurodiversities, and in 2021 we’re lucky to be living in an era where there’s a knowledgeable and supportive dyslexia community all over the world. There have been huge changes made and much greater awareness since the foundation of national and international dyslexia associations, and many people with dyslexia are getting the support that the need to read and succeed.
There are some places in the world, however, where dyslexia support and awareness aren’t as prevalent – and this is something that one Bangladeshi entrepreneur and dyslexia specialist is keen to see change.
A study in 2018 by East West University, Bangladesh revealed over 9% of children attending primary school in Dhaka, Bangladesh exhibited common symptoms of dyslexia. Most weren’t receiving support, and some of the teachers in the study simply thought that children were having difficulty with reading due to a lack of effort or practise.
This study this is one of the few that have been carried out in the country – the research landscape is sparse on the subject nationwide, and the Bangladeshi national newspaper The Daily Star reports that dyslexia itself could be somewhat of an alien concept to both educators and pupils.
That’s why Muhammad Shamsul Huda founded Suriyafaz Dyslexia over ten years ago. It’s an award-winning non-profit organisation that helps identify dyslexia in Bangladesh, working with students and young people to change the narrative and promote accessible learning for everybody. It aims to link students with solutions for learning and helps educate people about dyslexia at all levels of the community. It’s been a story of international reach and co-operation, with support and training from Dyslexia Daily in Australia, Breaking Through Dyslexia in India, and the Canadian dyslexia expert Nancy Young. Spurred on by his own experiences having dyslexia as a child and the experiences of his young nephew, it’s a movement fuelled by desire for much greater awareness- and he’s got a few ideas on how to make that happen, too.
Speaking to The Daily Star this week, Huda is a great advocate for change coming from the heart of the educational profession. “There are hardly any schools [in Bangladesh] that take dyslexia seriously. To create an inclusive environment… the problem needs to be targeted at the core of the teaching profession – teacher training programmes. If trainers are made aware of this underlying issue, future educators will be better equipped when dealing with dyslexia. Simultaneously, students won’t have to tolerate a discouraging environment and have a chance at exploring their abilities.”
It’s a powerful message, and an important one: educators are often the first people to recognise dyslexia in students and young people, and their role is an important one on the journey to literacy.
You can find out more about who Suriyafaz Dyslexia are, what they do, and what support they offer at their website - suriyafazdyslexia.org.
