Dr Geetha D/O Shantha Ram

Dr Geetha Shantha Ram has played a pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s dyslexia and Specific Learning Differences (SpLD) sector over two decades, strengthening professional standards, service quality, innovation and equitable access.

Since joining DAS in 2004, she has institutionalised evidence-based intervention through the Essential Literacy Approach, training more than 760 educators and supporting structured literacy progression for over 2,500 students annually. She established MAPTrack, Singapore’s first curriculum-based academic monitoring system, enabling over 120 educators to deliver data-informed instruction. She also strengthened multidisciplinary assessment and aligned diagnostic practices with international accreditation standards.

Dr Shantha Ram championed equitable access, with DAS now supporting 3,000–3,500 students annually, over half from lower-income families. She expanded services to residential care settings, Singapore Prisons School and students outside conventional funding criteria through iReaCH.

Her leadership has driven systemic innovation. Through DAS 3.0, she integrates AI-enabled adaptive learning to enhance personalisation and scalability, while frameworks such as HEAL and CalmEd embed mental health and resilience into intervention. She also expanded support for executive functioning through iStudySmart™ and iWorkSmart™.

Beyond DAS, Dr Shantha Ram contributes significantly to professional development and sector governance as an International Dyslexia Association Board Member, Executive Editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences and Advisor to RETA. Through research, publications and international collaboration, she has strengthened Singapore’s influence in global dyslexia practice while championing learner voice, inclusion and evidence-informed care.