Nur Shahida Shares Journey Raising Children With Dyslexia

By Bernama Lifestyle Reporter

PETALING JAYA, March 10 (Bernama) -- The experience of raising two children with dyslexia has opened the eyes of celebrity entrepreneur Datin Seri Nur Shahida Mohd Rashid to the importance of proper therapy and suitable learning methods in helping children overcome the condition.

She said two of her children Qadejah El Zahra, 16, and Ibraheem Adam, 14, who were previously diagnosed with dyslexia, have shown encouraging progress after undergoing therapy and following learning approaches tailored to their needs.

“Although I felt quite down when Qadejah was first diagnosed, seeing her positive progress made me more prepared afterwards. In fact, children with dyslexia are not disabled — they simply learn differently from others.

“If they receive the right therapy and attend the right school, they will be fine. For example, Qadejah could not read even in Year One, but now she is doing very well academically,” she told reporters after the premiere of D’Herbs’ Raya Brand film ‘Ya, Abah Saya Security’ here last night.

Her fourth child Yusof Al Qardawi, eight, has now also been diagnosed with dyslexia as well as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and has been undergoing therapy since early last year.

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Nur Shahida, who is married to businessman and social media influencer Datuk Seri Aliff Syukri Kamarzaman, said she initially did not expect Yusof to face the same challenges, but began noticing differences in his behaviour from an early age.

She said when Yusof was between one and two years old he was already extremely hyperactive, and at the age of five he climbed out through the window and sat on the roof of their house because he wanted to become a “superhero”.

She added that her son also enjoys physically challenging activities and shows little fear of his surroundings.

“After school, he would immediately jump into the pool — not just the swimming pool but even the fish pond. He simply has no fear and finds everything exciting,” she said.

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Recognising Yusof’s strong interest in physical activity, Nur Shahida is now focusing on nurturing his abilities in a more structured way.

“I never sent Yusof for swimming classes, but he is naturally very good at swimming. So I hired a coach to train him properly because he may be able to go far in the sport,” she said.

Nur Shahida advised parents not to dismiss the possibility that their children may have dyslexia or ADHD and to seek professional help as early as possible if they notice any signs of these conditions.

-- BERNAMA