Meet Chong Lee, an educational therapist dedicated to unlocking each child’s potential through holistic teaching methods. With a focus on the whole child—mind, body, and spirit—Chong Lee combines personalised strategies with compassionate guidance to address diverse learning needs.
By fostering a supportive and engaging environment, he helps students build confidence, develop essential skills, and achieve meaningful progress in their academic journey. Through his innovative approach, Chong Lee empowers children to overcome challenges and embrace a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. Read to find out how he go about helping children and even adults with special needs.
What inspired you to become an educational therapist, and what drew you to this profession?
I’d always thought that teaching is a very noble profession, but as I got more into teaching and got to know more about it, I realised that students can be seated, but they may not be listening. Students can be listening, but they may not really understand what you’re talking about. Even if they understand, they may not be able to apply it to everyday life. So that got me thinking: is there a way to actually get a child to focus, to arouse a child’s senses, to understand the child’s learning styles so that proper learning is carried out?
That’s where the idea of educational therapy came to my mind. Basically, educational therapy is about providing very personalised strategies for students to improve their academic skills, cognitive functioning, and emotional well-being. Along the way, educational therapy deals with the concentration, processing of information, and emotions of the kids. It incorporates multi-sensory techniques and positive reinforcement to get the child to learn.
Can you share more about your approach to tailoring evidence-based strategies for learners with diverse abilities?
For students to learn better, it is not just about academic needs, which is the conventional way. In educational therapy, we talk about emotional, sensory, and the propensity to learn. By propensity, I don’t mean potential. Propensity to learn is a natural tendency to behave in a certain way. When applied in an educational therapy context, it means therapists need to identify and understand a child’s learning styles and adapt teaching methods accordingly.
For example, a visual learner might benefit from mind maps, a kinesthetic learner may do better with hands-on activities, and an emotional learner may need to build trust and bond with the therapist before actual learning takes place. What works for one child may not work for another. It takes a village to raise a child, so I usually work with occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and tutors to ensure my teaching approach aligns with a child’s overall developmental needs.
What are some of the most common challenges your students face, and how do you help them overcome these hurdles?
Some challenges include low self-confidence, anxiety, difficulty focusing, and academic gaps. For example, if a student is anxious, it’s extremely important to start with a mindful or fun activity to involve the child before introducing academics.
Educational therapy is about being structured, cumulative, and sequential in its approach, unlike conventional teaching. My role as an educational therapist is to create a safe space where students feel supported, willing to try, fail, and try again.
How do you balance addressing both academic and emotional growth in your sessions?
It is extremely important to have meaningful connections and conversations with students. I start with opening sentences like, “How do you feel today?” or “Tell me the best part of your life.” When facing challenges, I might say, “Something slightly tough is on the way. Are you ready for it?”
By weaving emotional support into academics, students become more willing to cooperate and try. This is followed by praises to build confidence. It’s also crucial to track progress rather than focus solely on correct answers, as effort matters most.
My role as an educational therapist is to create a safe space where students feel supported, willing to try, fail, and try again.
Can you provide an example of a particularly rewarding case where your methods made a significant impact on a student?
Instead of giving a single case, I’d rather sum up situations where I’ve tasted success in providing educational therapy. For example, a non-reader becoming a reader, a dysregulated child becoming more regulated, a distant parent seeing their child open up and become willing to learn, or a student expressing appreciation for my work. These moments affirm the success of my methods and the impact they have on my students.
How do you stay updated with the latest educational tools and evidence-based practices?
Many educational therapists attend workshops, seminars, and webinars regularly. Personally, I love integrating unique fields like neuroscience, learning psychology, and functional nutrition into my therapy. My emphasis is on an integrative approach. Most importantly, I learn from my students—they give me cues on what works and what doesn’t, and I adapt accordingly. That, I believe, is the essence of educational therapy.
What advice would you give to parents who might be considering educational therapy for their children?
If your child is struggling, go for early intervention. Early intervention is a crucial approach that can make a huge difference. Therapy is essentially a partnership where parents play an important role by reinforcing strategies at home, encouraging the child, trusting the process, and being patient.
Growth takes time. It’s similar to planting a seed—you prepare the soil (trust the process), plant the seed (be patient), nurture it daily, and celebrate every bloom (progress, not perfection).
How do you adapt your techniques to suit learners at different stages, for example, from preschool to secondary school?
With preschoolers, the emphasis is on play-based learning and sensory activities to develop foundational skills. For primary school students, I use structured yet engaging methods like storytelling, visuals, and interactive tools. For secondary school students, the focus shifts to critical thinking, applying knowledge, managing stress, and using real-life applications and exam strategies. Regardless of age, the techniques are always flexible and evolve as the child grows.
What are your future goals as an educational therapist, and how do you hope to expand your impact in this field?
On a broader level, I would like to advocate for greater awareness about learning differences and help destigmatise them in schools and society. It’s important to emphasise not just ‘what’ to learn but ‘how’ to learn—an essential skill for navigating a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.
Where do you see yourself, and what’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
On a personal level, I hope to create a society that values every learner—not just academic achievements, but individual accomplishments as well. I also hope mindfulness becomes a practice, not just a concept, and that people recognise and use their strengths to their advantage, embracing a strength-based approach.
I hope Singapore becomes a place where mental health support, special education services, and parental guidance are accessible to all.
Connect with Chong Lee: willingspirit2000@yahoo.com.sg
