BA Psychology | Dispensing Optician
Samantha Fleming is the founding Chairperson of Irlen North Trust and the driving force behind its creation. When the Trust received charitable status in 2026, it was Samantha who brought together a group of people who shared her vision: making Irlen services and intervention more accessible to children and young people who might otherwise miss out because of financial barriers.
As Chairperson, Samantha provides strategic direction for the Trust, oversees its operations, leads grant applications, and advocates for greater awareness and understanding of Irlen Syndrome across Northland. The Trust was founded on a simple belief — that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and that early intervention and equitable access to support can have a profound impact on a young person's education and wellbeing.
A career built on helping people see more clearly
Professionally, Samantha is known as The Eye Lady, and is currently the only Irlen Diagnostician in Northland. She works with people experiencing visual processing difficulties and low vision, and brings more than 20 years of experience within the optical industry to everything she does.
As a qualified Dispensing Optician and registered health professional, Samantha combines genuine clinical expertise with a practical, grounded understanding of the barriers families face every day. Her path to this work has been a varied one. Earlier in her career she worked as a therapist supporting children with autism, and she has also completed three years of study in New Zealand Sign Language, leaving her able to hold a conversation in NZSL — both experiences that reflect a long-standing commitment to communication and inclusion.
A cause that is deeply personal
For Samantha, this work is far more than professional. She has Irlen Syndrome herself, so she understands firsthand the impact that visual processing challenges can have on education and everyday life.
Through her clinical work, she has also seen the inequity that arises when effective support is only available to families who can afford it. It is, in many ways, a textbook case of a small symptom being overlooked until it becomes something much larger — a child who simply cannot process what they see being quietly limited in their access to learning. Samantha firmly believes that no child should face that limitation, and the Trust exists to make sure they don't.
Looking ahead
Under Samantha's leadership, Irlen North Trust currently prioritises financial support for low-income families, with the aspiration to expand eligibility over time as funding grows. The Trust's goal is to support 50 young people in its first financial year, and to grow that impact to 300 children and young people by 2030.
Born and raised in Northland, and now raising two young children of her own, Samantha is passionate about giving back to the community she calls home.