Kimberley Waugh Skyers, who was diagnosed with the learning disorder dyslexia at age 12, initially ignored her desire to teach those who also suffered from the condition.

But, after realising that her six-year-old twin girls portrayed signs of dyslexia while they were in kindergarten, Waugh Skyers finally mustered up the courage to launch a tutoring and educational service arm of the family-owned business, Technology Inc, in January.

“I am very passionate about teaching and wanted to assist persons in that capacity but I ran from it,” Waugh Skyers told the Jamaica Observer recently.

The 38-year-old St Catherine resident said that the experience of her twin girls motivated her to embark on her business idea.

“I had pulled my children from the regular school system and hired a tutor in 2019, because I was told by a teacher that my girls did not know the letters of the alphabet. The tutor would have taught my girls based off my recommendations. When going through situation with my children I decided to take it up another notch,” added Waugh Skyers who now offers tutoring service to students from the primary level to secondary level, through online or home schooling.

But, before they are tutored, there are important requirements to be met. “I recommend that parents get their children assessed first and based on that assessment, along with consent given to us to go into the institutions to get access to the child’s academic profile, we would look at both [assessment and profile] and then give them a questionnaire to do,” she said.

“The questionnaire looks at their learning style and preference, then we would modify the curriculum, based on their learning style, to assist them,” said Waugh Skyers.

She said so far, she has approximately five students who are displaying impressive academic performances.

“I like to interact with others and I can identify and relate to other students who are having a challenge in my class. As such, my pass rate is very high as my students keep asking me if there is any other course that I teach for them to sit in on. Because of who I am, I give of myself and ensure that my students understand before leaving my class,” she said, as she emphasised on the student-centred approach utilised.

Even though Waugh Skyers is living her dream, the journey of reaching where she is now while dealing with dyslexia has been no easy feat.

She said before she was diagnosed, “No one realised anything until grade six, when my teacher called my parents to advise them that something was wrong. She recommended that I get assessed at Mico Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre.

“I was a slow learner; I wasn’t grasping anything in class. I had challenges with my letters and reading to comprehend was a challenge. I am still going through dyslexia because it never goes away,” Waugh Skyers told the Observer.

However, she said with her family being her greatest support, she managed to excel academically.

She completed a diploma in information and communication technology in 2004, Bachelor of Science degree in Information and Technology in 2009, then a postgraduate diploma in education and training in 2013 at the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI).

Further, she went on to complete a Master of Arts in Technology and Learning Design programme at University of Roehampton, London, in 2020.

“There are times I felt like giving up especially when instructions were not clear and I became frustrated, but I still continued nonetheless because I had the support. I could always turn to my family and they would motivate me to continue,” declared Waugh Skyers.

As she continues to improve the educational experiences of dyslexic children, she hopes that in the same way interventions can be implemented to assist dyslexic people in the workplace.

“It is not easy for someone who is dyslexic to work in an organisation because others are not understanding. They are not seeing a physical disability so they don’t look at you. If they can align work based off our learning style and preference then we would be able to function well,” said Waugh Skyers.