The Management Committee
Dr. Mullai Ramaiah Arunachalam - Founder and President
Dr. Mullai Ramaiah Arunachalam, the Founder and President of the National Organization for Dyslexia Malaysia (NOD), is a retired Associate Professor from the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya (UM). She started the NGO in 2015.Dr Mullai holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Edmonton, Canada and a Masters in Education from Ohio University, USA. Her Ph.D was in the field of Reading and Cognition, from UM.She is trained in the Orton Gillingham Phonetic Approach and has a Certificate in Learning Disorders Management, Language Development, Child Psychology and Counselling from the College of Teachers, UK. Since retiring from UM she has devoted her time entirely to the cause of dyslexia as there is a dire need for treating thousands of children in this country affected by the disorder.After thorough research in primary schools, she developed a Tamil and an English Phonetic Teaching Kit for treating children with dyslexia. She has conducted workshops for over two hundred primary schools in Malaysia. She was invited by the Ministry of Education in Singapore to advise curriculum developers as to how phonics could be incorporated into their primary school curriculum. Similarly, there was an invitation from the Dyslexia Association of Chennai to hold a workshop for their teachers, which in turn led to other schools in India to also benefit from her expertise.Dr Mullai has presented key note addresses on dyslexia in conferences in India and conducted workshops in the US. She has written several articles in the Malaysian newspapers and given radio talks and television interviews in the hope of bringing about greater awareness of dyslexia throughout Malaysia.Dr Mullai's heart remains in teaching. Training teachers and parents to teach those afflicted by dyslexia is her forte, which she has taken on as a life-long commitment. She also trains trainers in the hope of reaching far more affected children and adolescents lacking professional support and care. In line with this, she performs dyslexia assessments and conducts counselling sessions with parents and caregivers to help them deal with the emotional repercussions of dyslexia. In 2019, Dr Mullai mooted the idea of a collaborative research on Crime and Dyslexia with a team from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The NOD funded and led project has since been successfully concluded. In due course, NOD will be submitting the report of this intensive research to the Ministry of Education Malaysia.
Subathra Devi Raja Ratnam - Secretary
Subathra Devi Raja Ratnam serves as NOD's secretary. She earned a Bachelor of Management (Honours) with Psychology from Wawasan Open University Malaysia, as well as a Masters in Counselling from Open University Malaysia. As a PhD candidate in education at University Utara Malaysia (UUM), she recognizes the critical need to assist children with learning disabilities, particularly those with dyslexia. Hence, NOD provides an excellent opportunity for her to broaden her knowledge while guided by Dr. Mullai. Subathra is a registered counsellor affiliated with Peak Mind Power Counselling. She spent two decades in the banking profession, and since quitting, she has been actively involved in social work. Subathra joined the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) psychological unit. She worked there for almost two years contributing to writing and editing materials on Psychological First Aid, as well as offering counselling and psychological services.
In addition to her extensive experience, Subathra is a certified DSM-5 practitioner and holds a certificate in Art Drawing House-Tree-Person (AD-HTP). She is also a professional practitioner of expressive arts, integrating creative-expressive processes to enhance therapeutic outcomes. As a member of the Malaysian Psychological Association (PSIMA), she is dedicated to advancing mental health practices.
In addition to her extensive experience, Subathra is a certified DSM-5 practitioner and holds a certificate in Art Drawing House-Tree-Person (AD-HTP). She is also a professional practitioner of expressive arts, integrating creative-expressive processes to enhance therapeutic outcomes. As a member of the Malaysian Psychological Association (PSIMA), she is dedicated to advancing mental health practices.
Mathan Jayaram - Treasurer
Mathan Jayaram has been the Treasurer for the National Organization for Dyslexia Malaysia (NOD) since its inception and is one of its founding members along with President Dr Mullai Arunachalam. A devoted member of NOD, Mathan has given the organisation his full support and has been through thick and thin with the President. Mathan was also the designer for both the English and Tamil Phonetic Teaching Kits that Dr Mullai developed. An IT expert with more than two decades of experience in the field, he holds a Diploma in Computer Science, obtained from Tunku Abdul Rahman College, Malaysia. Mathan is a technocrat and entrepreneur who has dabbled in various IT and media related pursuits and is currently managing three businesses under his company. He is also a fitness enthusiast and is the Vice President of the Selangor Indian Sports Council and the President of the Sai Football Club.
Parimala Appu - Assistant Treasurer
Parimala Appu is the Committee member of the National Organisation for Dyslexia Malaysia (NOD). She holds a Diploma in Learning Disorder Management from the College of Allied Education, Singapore. Parimala is also a certified confinement practitioner and has many satisfied customers impressed with her customer service and natural affinity with children, particularly babies. Parimala has successfully completed the Certificate in Teaching Children with Dyslexia Programme under NOD President Dr Mullai. She is a certified Varma and Yoga therapist, specialising in autism therapy and is highly experienced in teaching children with autism spectrum disorder and related learning disabilities. Parimala goes the extra mile in reaching out to autistic children by working with a team of teachers under her supervision, who conduct home therapy and tuition around the Klang Valley. To support her endeavour she also makes home-made products such as natural soap, shampoo, conditioner, aloe vera gel and black nigella. Owing to her vast experience in dealing with children with behavioural disorders and learning disabilities, Parimala has been featured in the media.
Santhy Dewi Pillai - Assistant Secretary
Santhy Dewi Pillai is a long-standing committee member of the National Organization for Dyslexia Malaysia (NOD) and is currently its Assisstant Secretary. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Information Technology (Multimedia) from Universiti Malaya. A tutor with three decades of experience, she is presently working at Sayfol International School, Kuala Lumpur, assisting the Head of School and the Principal. She has also had a productive stint at Taylors University, Subang Jaya, where she worked at the office of the School of Architecture. Santhy Dewi has successfully completed NODs Certificate in Teaching Children with Dyslexia and is presently undergoing hands-on training with NOD President Dr Mullai in teaching children with dyslexia. She is the Chairperson of the Education Bureau of the Federation of Malaysian Sri Lankan Organisation (FOMSO) and has been actively involved in its social services and fund-raising activities. Santhy Dewi is a charter member of the YMCAKL Toastmasters Club, where she briefly held the position of Vice President of Education. She is the clubs incumbent Vice President of Marketing. Under its Toastmasters International Pathway programme Santhy Dewi has completed project speeches in Toastmasters Pathway Motivational Strategies. She is currently doing the Toastmasters Pathways Mentor Program.
Vigneswary Sambasivam - Committee Member
Vigneswary Sambasivam, has been a committee member of the National Organisation for Dyslexia Malaysia (NOD) from its inception, and a long-term Assistant Treasurer. She holds a BA in English from Madras University, India and a Masters Degree in English as a Second Language from Universiti Malaya. She worked at UM as a part-time lecturer before opting to home-tutor students in English and Tamil proficiency. Vigneswary has been producing exam guides at UPSR, PT3 and SPM levels for a considerable number of years. She has also co-authored guide books for the UPSR Malay, Mathematics and Science subjects. A powerful speaker, Vigneswary has taken part in various TV talk-shows and debates on social issues. Short-story writing is another big strength, which has won Vigneswary recognition and awards. She has been a constant companion to NOD President Dr. Mullai in conducting workshops for teachers on teaching dyslexic children. She is a HRDF (Human Resources Development Fund) certified motivator and counsellor. Till date, Vigneswary is Director of Selliyal, a Tamil online news portal. A versatile media practitioner, she has also ventured into acting, and has directed a short film called On Time.
Manoranchitham Nagappan - Committee Member
Manoranchitham Nagappan is currently one of the committee members of NOD. After spending nearly two decades in the Banking industry, she decided to pursue her passion in teaching, especially teaching children.She acquired the following academic qualifications :- Diploma In Early Childhood Education ( London Montessori), Diploma in TESOL, Certificate In CiSELT, and a Certificate in the Teaching of Children with Dyslexia to aid her in this pursuit.Since 1998 she has been involved in educating young children from preschool to her last position as an English language teacher in Chinese Independent High Schools from 2007 to 2020 handling both Junior and Senior levels.After retiring from active teaching, but unwilling to forgo her passion, she still teaches at Cambridge English for Life as a part time tutor and also conducts reading classes for needy children, on a pro bono basis. Besides this she is also actively involved in an NGO doing social work.
PRITHI SUBATIRA KANNAPPAN
As a newly appointed committee member for the National Organization for Dyslexia Malaysia (NOD) alongside being a medical student at IMU university, I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute my efforts towards supporting individuals with dyslexia. My interest in dyslexia was sparked during my time spent at the Dyslexia Learning Centre operated by NOD, alongside Dr. Mullai. This interest was further nurtured through collaborative work with her, notably in the development of the Bahasa Melayu phonics kit. I am inspired by the impactful work undertaken in raising awareness, providing resources, and advocating for the needs of individuals with dyslexia as well as acknowledge the significance of creating inclusive spaces where individuals with dyslexia feel empowered to pursue their goals. I look forward to collaborating with fellow committee members and the dyslexia community to effect meaningful change.
SHARIFAH AZIAN BINTI SYED AZNAM
I am Sharifah, Puteri Nur Aisyah' mom. having experience in the field of administration and marketing, both locally and internationally. My past marketing regional role was in Dubai, UAE, was involved in marketing natural stone for building projects in the region in the late 2000.
However, my journey in the workforce took a brief pause when I decided to prioritize my family and be there for my children. It was important for me to be present for them during their formative years, and I am grateful for the time I spent with them. Now that they are older, after taking a short break, I have re-enter the workforce at a more mature age now to stay active.
Puteri Nur Aisyah ,10 year old my youngest of 4 daughters. She is active, healthy, speaks well, creative in arts and craft ,intelligent girl with Dyslexia, a learning disability in reading, writing.
During my search for effective dyslexia education options for my child, I discovered the National Organization for Dyslexia (NOD).
Their approach to teaching has proven to be transformative for my daughter, who went from struggling with basic literacy skills to being able to read and write short sentences within a short time.
I am grateful for the impact NOD has had on her education and overall confidence.
Navigating the educational landscape for my dyslexic daughter has not been without its challenges.
Beyond my professional endeavors, I am deeply passionate about advocating for learning disabilities, particularly dyslexia.
As a mother of a 10-year-old dyslexic child, I have personally witnessed the challenges and unique learning needs that individuals with dyslexia face.
It has become my mission to create awareness about the special teaching techniques and approaches that can greatly benefit those with dyslexia.
I believe it is important for other parents and individuals to know about NOD and the invaluable services they provide. By spreading awareness about this organization, I hope to connect more families with the resources and support they need for their dyslexic children.
I am committed to advocating for inclusive and effective education for all.
In 2015 , awareness about Dyslexia was just about budding in Malaysian society. There were occasional write-ups in the newspapers and schools were just beginning to group children with learning disorders into special classrooms. It was at this juncture, realizing the dire need for an organization which could cater for those affected in an effective way that the National Organization for Dyslexia (NOD) was realized by a few empathetic friends.
Founded in September 2015, NOD is a non-profit organization established to create awareness of Dyslexia across the country, develop teaching tools based on proven approaches to teaching, teach children, train teachers and parents to teach, train trainers, counsel parents, research on the relation between Dyslexia, social isolation and crime, and act as a hub for intellectual forums and Dyslexia -related activities.
NOD realized that without the right approach using the right tools, teaching cannot be effective. Teaching the traditional way will not help children with Dyslexia because their brains think differently for which schools need to change their way of teaching. Hence, NOD embarked on researching with children in schools to develop Teaching Tool Kits contextualized for this country. A comprehensive English Kit and a Tamil Kit was thus developed. As for Malay, there are Kits available in the market.
NOD has developed two teaching tool kits in English and Tamil and has conducted over 200 workshops in primary schools in the country. It was also invited by the Madras Dyslexia Association which gave it a vent overseas to display its teaching tools and also educate teachers in Teaching Tamil the Phonetic Way. The Tamil tool Kit which is first of its kind, received much appreciation from the fraternity. Word spread and other schools in Tamil Nadu invited NOD many times to conduct workshops for their teachers.
NOD is also aware of comorbidities that accompany Dyslexia, like Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, ADD Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder(ADHD). NOD offers counselling to parents and teachers on how to overcome these at home and in school.
Since Dyslexic children are not easily identifiable because they don’t show it physically or in the way they behave or communicate verbally, it is a learning difficulty that is evasive. That is why teachers and parents are often puzzled at why their otherwise intelligent child does poorly in academic subjects in school. This is also the reason why parents are in denial that their child has a problem, more often than not.
We have dedicated ourselves to the cause of Dyslexia and emphasize certain principles in schools which include early identification and intervention. If children are not identified early enough, at least in Standard One, not only the problem of Dyslexia gets compounded but contributes to the losing of self-esteem. Even children who are mildly dyslexic are thrown off their bearings at school which uses the traditional approach to teaching. This becomes very confusing and frustrating and worsens the Dyslexic condition the child is in.
NOD has participated in International Conferences at home and abroad giving key-note addresses at some. NOD advocates “ Inclusive yet Exclusive “ education where affected children are placed in mainstream classes but are taken out for an hour to Special Classes and given instruction using the Phonetic Approach. This saves the child from any embarrassment he/she may go through by being placed in Special Schools or the “D” “E” classrooms.
NOD is also aware that children who are neglected, ostracized and name-called in schools, and who come from un-steady homes in poverty, drop out of school even before completing primary school, lose self-esteem completely and are lured tocrime. Research findings from abroad that Dyslexia may lead a child to a unsavory activities and even crime affected NOD a great deal. As affirmative action, NOD recently sponsored and completed a Research Project in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on the Relationship between Crime and Dyslexia which was mooted by the President of NOD. The findings of the research and recommendation will soon be submitted to the Ministry of Education. This research hopes to bring about changes in the Teachers Training Colleges in training Special Teachers, and to emphasize that identification in Standard One and immediate intervention is imperative in schools.
NOD’s forte will be the educating of teachers and parents to teach the phonetic way as that is the recourse for the problem which can be overcome almost 100% if the teaching is multisensory, systematic, incremental , cumulative, explicit and individualized.
Dyslexia is a different brain organization that needs different teaching methods. It is never the fault of the child, but rather the responsibility of us who teach to find methods that work for that child. Dr Maryanne Wolf (2015) Education Researcher and Dyslexia Advocate
Founded in September 2015, NOD is a non-profit organization established to create awareness of Dyslexia across the country, develop teaching tools based on proven approaches to teaching, teach children, train teachers and parents to teach, train trainers, counsel parents, research on the relation between Dyslexia, social isolation and crime, and act as a hub for intellectual forums and Dyslexia -related activities.
NOD realized that without the right approach using the right tools, teaching cannot be effective. Teaching the traditional way will not help children with Dyslexia because their brains think differently for which schools need to change their way of teaching. Hence, NOD embarked on researching with children in schools to develop Teaching Tool Kits contextualized for this country. A comprehensive English Kit and a Tamil Kit was thus developed. As for Malay, there are Kits available in the market.
NOD has developed two teaching tool kits in English and Tamil and has conducted over 200 workshops in primary schools in the country. It was also invited by the Madras Dyslexia Association which gave it a vent overseas to display its teaching tools and also educate teachers in Teaching Tamil the Phonetic Way. The Tamil tool Kit which is first of its kind, received much appreciation from the fraternity. Word spread and other schools in Tamil Nadu invited NOD many times to conduct workshops for their teachers.
NOD is also aware of comorbidities that accompany Dyslexia, like Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, ADD Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder(ADHD). NOD offers counselling to parents and teachers on how to overcome these at home and in school.
Since Dyslexic children are not easily identifiable because they don’t show it physically or in the way they behave or communicate verbally, it is a learning difficulty that is evasive. That is why teachers and parents are often puzzled at why their otherwise intelligent child does poorly in academic subjects in school. This is also the reason why parents are in denial that their child has a problem, more often than not.
We have dedicated ourselves to the cause of Dyslexia and emphasize certain principles in schools which include early identification and intervention. If children are not identified early enough, at least in Standard One, not only the problem of Dyslexia gets compounded but contributes to the losing of self-esteem. Even children who are mildly dyslexic are thrown off their bearings at school which uses the traditional approach to teaching. This becomes very confusing and frustrating and worsens the Dyslexic condition the child is in.
NOD has participated in International Conferences at home and abroad giving key-note addresses at some. NOD advocates “ Inclusive yet Exclusive “ education where affected children are placed in mainstream classes but are taken out for an hour to Special Classes and given instruction using the Phonetic Approach. This saves the child from any embarrassment he/she may go through by being placed in Special Schools or the “D” “E” classrooms.
NOD is also aware that children who are neglected, ostracized and name-called in schools, and who come from un-steady homes in poverty, drop out of school even before completing primary school, lose self-esteem completely and are lured tocrime. Research findings from abroad that Dyslexia may lead a child to a unsavory activities and even crime affected NOD a great deal. As affirmative action, NOD recently sponsored and completed a Research Project in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on the Relationship between Crime and Dyslexia which was mooted by the President of NOD. The findings of the research and recommendation will soon be submitted to the Ministry of Education. This research hopes to bring about changes in the Teachers Training Colleges in training Special Teachers, and to emphasize that identification in Standard One and immediate intervention is imperative in schools.
NOD’s forte will be the educating of teachers and parents to teach the phonetic way as that is the recourse for the problem which can be overcome almost 100% if the teaching is multisensory, systematic, incremental , cumulative, explicit and individualized.
Dyslexia is a different brain organization that needs different teaching methods. It is never the fault of the child, but rather the responsibility of us who teach to find methods that work for that child. Dr Maryanne Wolf (2015) Education Researcher and Dyslexia Advocate
To increase awareness among the teaching community and parents regarding Dyslexia, related learning disabilities and the need for early identification and intervention
- To provide education programs and support services for educators, parents and volunteers
- To work closely with the Ministry of Education on matters relating to Dyslexia
- To develop/create professional, state-of the art teaching kits for the multi-lingual needs of Malaysia
- To publish books, newsletters and other materials related to learning disabilities
- To research on the relation between Dyslexia, social isolation and crime in Malaysia
- To act as a hub for intellectual forums, support groups for parents and special educators
Every child should have the opportunity to learn to read and write. Where there is a learning disability/difference, access to appropriate methodologies must be available. NOD Malaysia wants to make possible a Malaysia where no child drops out of school because she/he cannot read or write. Shaywitz, MD, says almost everyone can overcome Dyslexia.
