Syeda Khanom is an alumnus of Roehampton. In celebration of the publication of her new book titled: Special Baby: Special Needs, we interviewed her about her experiences at Roehampton. More information about the book can be found here.

What did you study at Roehampton and which year did you graduate?

I studied MA Special and Inclusive Education between 2010 – 2014 within the School of Education at Roehampton, London.

What drew you to Roehampton, and how did your academic experience shape your professional journey?

I really wanted to study this programme, as at the time, it was the only one in the UK. I am grateful Roehampton gave me this opportunity, especially because Roehampton is known for its excellent research in education. Being an international student, I also wanted to study at a campus university too, and Roehampton was the perfect fit!

My experience at Roehampton was amazing, I learned so much from so many great lecturers. I was taught how to carry out research and learned in depth about special needs conditions such as autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and others. What inspired me to write my book was the fact that in Bangladesh (where I was born) there wasn’t any formal structures or policies in place to identify the special needs of children. Additionally, my lecturers on my programme also encouraged me to go for it.

Can you share a memorable moment or experience from your time on campus?

Yes, there were many. I made great memories at the Roehampton library – with great resources and wonderful views. I also really enjoyed the classes in general as they were informative and thought-provoking, but also stimulating. We also had opportunities like the job fairs on campus, where we received a lot of support and guidance about our desired career path. I miss Roehampton and plan to visit soon!

What advice would you give to current students who aspire to follow a similar career path?

I strongly believe anyone can and should know about the special needs of children and the wider community, it is not just a topic for parents and teachers. Whatever your background or wherever you are in the world, this programme can apply to you too. If interested, I would encourage people from different backgrounds to study this programme, to learn about special needs – as it’s an important topic and affects a wide range of people.

What inspired you to write your book “Special Baby: Special Needs – 1″ and how long did it take from concept to publication?

When my son was born, he was diagnosed with autism, I researched in depth about autism and the strategies for coping with a child who has special needs and dealing with behavioral management. This led to me to learn about all other special needs from including symptoms, strategies and causes. Initially I wanted to write an article on my findings, but as the notes from my research piled up, I decided to write a book instead.

My other inspiration came from studying for my postgraduate degree at Roehampton. Even before I had finished studying, I decided I wanted to write a book, especially because for the context of Bangladesh, there weren’t many researchers within this field. This led me to write my first book when in Bengali. I started in 2012, and it was published in Bangladesh in 2018. I then decided to translate my book into English to reach a wider audience and raise awareness globally. This process took me another 6 years.

What are the central themes of your book, and what message do you hope readers take away from it?

The central theme in my book is understanding the characteristics and behavioral patterns of children with special needs. I cover special needs conditions in my book. I discuss the characteristics related to special needs of children in Bangladesh and other developing countries.

This is a guideline for teachers, parents or anyone who wants to identify different special needs or just wants to learn more about it.

My main take away from this book will be that anyone interested will be able to be confident in understanding different special needs conditions in children, as well as strategies to help children overcome barriers and achieve their learning goals.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?

I wrote and published this book in Bengali first. My first challenge was translating it, as English isn’t my first language. Another challenge was a lack of research and studies done in Bangladesh in the area, because I wanted to write about Bangladesh specifically.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of seeing your book published and reaching readers?

I am proud to say that now the book will live on even after my death. People will learn from anywhere in world about special needs through me.

What are you up to now?

I am currently studying a Post Doctoral in Naturopathic Medicine at Kingdom College of Natural Health in the USA. Prior to that, when I was in London, I worked as a Community Language Teacher.

Roehampton’s School of Education is renowned for its high-quality teaching and research and is one of the principal teacher training providers in the UK. We are ranked best modern university in the country for our research in Education (REF 2021) and Ofsted rates our primary age courses as “Outstanding” and secondary age courses as “Good” (2023). Visit our course page: MA SEND and Inclusive Education for more information.