Dr Karuppiah Nirmala (a.k.a. Nirmala Segaran) is a Lecturer at the Early Childhood and Special Education, National Institute of Education. She has served several years in the field of early childhood education, holding various positions including lecturer, practicum supervisor and researcher. Her areas of research interests include diversity, adult-child interactions and teaching-learning processes. She has conducted talks for parents and workshops for teachers as well as published books and CD-ROMs for teachers, parents and children. She has also presented at several local and international conferences, and published articles in local media and international journals. Her study and work experience span several countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Australia, the UK and the US.