Dyslexia Duo Podcast Episode 84 - Megan Pinchback

0:00Hey there! Hi! We are the Dyslexia duo! Each week we sit down with amazing people, including top researchers and experts in dyslexia, powerful advocates, affected individuals, and more. Together we break down the myths, share real stories, highlight research and strategies to advise our listeners about this prevalent learning disability. Come join us! Hey Melissa! Hey Amy! So today we have a very special guest with us, and I think a lot of our people are already know who she is. She's kind of a big deal. Megan? Do you want to introduce yourself to everybody? Sure. I mean, I don't think of myself as a big deal, but I love that lead in.

1:00My name is Megan Pinchfack. I am a certified academic language therapist, first and foremost, but I am also the owner and founder of Dyslexia On Demand. Awesome. Awesome. That's awesome. Okay. Here's the deal. Thank you so much for joining us into TikTok. And I am seeing you on TikTok, and I'm like, oh my gosh, there she is. I need to get some tips after the show. Get some TikTok tips. Oh, and I don't know that I have any, but. Yes. So you're a TikToker too. Yes. Yeah. All right. So can you share a little bit about your journey that got you into dyslexia therapy? Yeah. I would say that it isn't like the sexiest story. I think so many people have great stories like it's their child that was diagnosed or they spent so much time researching who, you know, account was the honest to God truth is I was a special educator for at least 10 years prior to my dyslexia journey.

2:04And I had taught in every special and self-contained classroom and done it all and loved it. And at the end, I became a resource teacher. So that's the first time I had started working with learning disabilities, but I had been a genetic teacher at one point, we've been before the special ed journey. And I started working really trying to help kids, you know, obviously better reading. And these were these really smart kids. And I was at a small enough school where I had the same case load for, you know, kind of year after year. And so I recognized how I was this excellent teacher, self-proclaimed, but I also, you know, was like teacher of the year and reading things, but I could not get certain kids to move the needle. And so I recognized that, but simultaneously, I was approached by my principal. And she said the local Masonic Lodge is looking to, you know, scholarship a teacher to go

3:07through a cult training. Would you be interested? And I said, it's free, I don't know what this is, but sure, it sounds like a great opportunity. And the truth of the matter is that at that point, I didn't have children, I was about to have a stepdaughter, but I did not have any reason not to, right? And so I went ahead and started this journey. So I would say my entry into dyslexia really just fell into my lap. But that being said, as I took these kids through my practicum hours, all of a sudden, they might have been diagnosed with dyslexia, but most likely not. They all started reading and making these gains. And that was the moment I think that I became so sold because I was a very dedicated teacher trying everything I could and nothing moved the needle until that. And so I think that was one of the biggest eye-opening experiences.

4:10Did you realize what you were getting yourself into with cult training? I had absolutely no idea. And you guys, I'm a very transparent person. I trained with some amazing, not only QIs, but also people who were in my class who have gone to do fabulous things. And I always joke that I'm pretty sure if anyone asked who was at the bottom of their couch class, it would be me. So the fact that I was on stage last year at outset, that was just such an amazing moment in my life. Where did you do your training at? I did it at the Scottish right in Austin when the Scottish right in Austin existed. Right. Right. Okay, very good. Very good. Yeah, I know as the QIs side, I'll have people that are like, I'm going to start this count. And I'm like, tell me what you know first about cult training, because I want them to understand that it's a little intense, but it's two years or a little more than two years.

5:13And there's a light at the end of the tunnel. It's not always going to be like that. And I think for me, it was probably good that I did not know what I was getting myself. I always have been like a jump first kind of person, fly by the seat of my pants. And so I just jumped and not, and did I spend a lot of time researching all that? I didn't. I think it took me five. I think it's kind of shocking. If people really knew what therapists went through, training wise, I think it would be kind of eye-opening for them to know how much attention to detail we have to put on every single component of our lesson and how we have to be evaluated by the qualified instructor and they have to determine if you did it well enough. And if you didn't, you have to go back and re-teach it, and then get approval. And if that's still not great enough, then you have to try again. And I remember one time being judged by my curse of handwriting that my line wasn't straight enough.

6:13And I failed my curse of handwriting, as I said, and I thought I was pretty good. Your practicum is your practicum at SMU, I remember, it's the slant. Yes, yes. So I didn't have my line just right. I had fat effs, I had all kinds of problems with my curse of it, and I thought it was a good curse of writer, so yeah, it's eye-opening. So overall, I don't think a lot of people know how much really goes into becoming a cult. I would agree, and also, another huge thing that the country does not recognize is who a cult is. And that's been, I think, one of the biggest platforms per se that I've tried educating people on is the importance of pairing at least certain kids with dyslexia with those who are trained at our level, because they're so much gray out there about what certified OG means, what

7:16it could be, versus trained in OG, and even the levels of rigor involved in what some certified OG go through. Yeah, I think that's a really good point, and I also think taking into consideration what other people in the country do have available to them, sometimes a certified OG person is all they have, and that's really, that's great, at least they have somebody who has that training. But I also think that I have people in my area who are saying they're reading therapists, and I said, oh, are you a cult? No. So then you're not a therapist, you know, how are you claiming your therapist? And there's also a lot of chatter, too, when people are saying that they've been doing OG for ex-about time, and their child is not having gains, but we've now done EBLI. And it's just this shocking change. And I always say, let's drill that down to the, you know, the why behind why their child

8:22isn't being successful, because it probably comes down to a combination of intensity and training of the person providing it, right? And so, you know, it kind of gets dangerous, and I wish that there was more out there, and so I think that I try spreading that at every opportunity I have to get on my cell box, but yeah, but you're doing a great job, because people have heard of you all over the place. That's cool. So let's talk a little bit more about your personal life, not really that deep, I mean, but so as a mom in a public speaker, how has your own life shaped your approach to supporting our dyslexic, maybe your kids with ADHD, now we're seeing more of the autism spectrum coming towards dyslexia therapy as well. So how has your own life helped shape that support for our students? So in general, I would say, because I know that I saw this question before, and I really was thinking on this kind of deep, and everyone approaches, I think their place in the dyslexia

9:25world from a different lens. And I would say that where I started in dyslexia and where I am today is definitely an evolved creature, and that I think through all of my experiences, one of the things that I think is the biggest standout for me is the emotional experience of dyslexia more than anything else. What I'm passionate about dyslexia and dyslexia education and proper language therapy and the opportunity for kids, but I think that so much of what drives me day to day is trying to help kids not have that same experience, the same emotional experience, because when you connect with people with dyslexia and the podcast really helps me see this so much more strongly, that when you ask what everyone shared story is, everyone starts out with

10:30the thought that they were done. And what I reflect on, and I am not dyslexic personally, but we all have inner child voices that speak to us, and I'm turning 15 this year, and I'm still working hard to get rid of mine. And it's not the same story, but it is what everybody carries with them, right? On some level, they're carrying this backpack of rocks. And so I think more than anything, one of the things that shapes my passion and what I'm trying to bring to the table is I want to educate parents. I want to educate people with dyslexia. I want to educate educators and how to approach our kids differently so that they don't look up the year they're turning 50. And reflect and say, wow, I let that inner voice that I told myself way back when, tell myself that I couldn't achieve that, because I've been carrying that with me.

11:34And I honestly think that's the biggest thing when I approach my kids. And I have five children, two of which are neurodiverse. And so thank goodness I learned all this stuff prior, I think all of them, right? In terms of just neurodiversity in general, but I think that maybe that's part of what drew me to special education in the first place, was trying to build those kids up. And so I think more than anything now, as I've carved out any level of voice for myself in the dyslexia community, that's one of the biggest things to be totally frank. Interesting. Yeah. I kind of made some connections while you were talking about that, because I started doing as a dyslexia teacher in 1992, so I was teaching MTA back then. And it's when you didn't have computers in your classroom, so that's how old school it is. And I can remember just having that profile, we knew that they were average of up average intelligence with lower reading, lower spelling. And we didn't even pull in PA, we didn't pull in fluency, we didn't pull in anything.

12:37And we were looking for that pure profile, if they were ADHD, oh, that's what's impacting their dyslexia, right? And now we know, oh, it could be a comorbidity. And then I started seeing kids come through for about 10, 15 years ago with autism, I'm like, oh, that's something that shouldn't be with dyslexia, but now we know that's also a spectrum thing. And I'm seeing more and more kids with dyslexia and autism combined coming into my private practice. I feel very strongly that we have to learn how to work with all of our kids, neurodiversities and all of that. And I joke around, we know the comorbidity for ADHD and dyslexia is about 40%. And the principal would come into my classroom and he hears them talking and he hears them talking and he hears them talking. And he would say the same thing every time. I don't know what you're doing, Red and Roth, but it's working for these kids, so I'm like, yeah, whatever. It's great. Awesome. It's great. And I think about what you were saying about students and schools and everybody carrying

13:39their own childhood trauma, and I think about what are schools doing? Schools are setting kids up for this feeling of failure when they're not able to meet those benchmarks. And we're doing benchmarks on them all the time. And it's another way for them to know that they're not meeting their benchmark. They do have a learning disability or that they're not quite where their friend is. And of course, they share what they were able to do if the teacher tells them, of course. But I just feel like there are some things that schools are doing wrong. And I think in a perfect world, I would love to know what you think that maybe we could do differently in a perfect world of schools all day long, girls. Right. And I say that I'm not setting it up as a school hater by any reason. Because I'm also the first to tell you that you don't know what you don't know when you're there. And I was that person also. What I think everyone is doing right is going to be 95% of those individuals who our kids

14:48are going to encounter teachers, administrators, et cetera. They didn't get into this job for the pay. Right. They love your children. They just also don't know what they don't know. Right. So then what's happening wrong. I would say I'm going to answer this a bit from a nationwide lens, right? Because we are all here, Texas, Cal. And I think that we've been exposed to the dyslexia landscape within Texas. And you make these big assumptions that everyone is where Texas is. And that, my friends, is so not true. So I think it all starts at obviously education. And Texas has caught up more than the last several years. And I think that's wonderful, like really putting teachers through the reading academies and educating them more so on dyslexia.

15:48And PS, lots of schools still have a very far to go in Texas. So they don't get the five gold stars. But in comparison with the rest of the country, oh, they sure do. So you know, it starts with legislation. I find that why are there so many counts here in Texas? Well, for lots of reasons, but part of it is been pushed down. It's a top down reason because campus level is asking for this. Because they need to, right? So it's forcing more people to become trained and educated in dyslexia. But I very unfortunately meet with parents all day long. That's what my job looks like here in dyslexia. And I am frying with them because of their frustration of what they're up against. Or on social media when I'm trying to educate everyone. And everyone in the comments is telling me I am wrong that schools cannot test for dyslexia.

16:50And it's a medical condition and people are going to make sure that I know that I don't know what I'm talking about. And so there's just such a lack of information and education out there. And that's where I would say the doing wrong piece is. At the core of it, everyone cares about your babies. But I really do feel like it helps parents upon a diagnosis to trust but verify. And research what you're probably going to encounter before you start that journey. So I would just love to see so much more progression happen within dyslexia and education about dyslexia because the people who need to have that knowledge, you can make new legislation all day long. But unless there is some kind of system of checks and balances where it is getting down to the right people and the right people are getting properly trained and educated about it,

17:52we're spinning our wheels a little bit. And I see that in Texas still. Yeah, good point. So I wrote a note here just now when you were talking. So again, going back in the way back machine, when dyslexia wasn't under anything when I first started. Nothing, just they gave me a kid and I just started working with them in the dyslexia curriculum that I had. And then we started doing assessments. We looked again at the cog and the lower reading and spelling. And then we started getting a little more formalized with what the assessment is. But I can remember, and this is where you made me think of this, I can remember a kid came to me and I didn't even know who this child was, came to me with a doctor's prescription. And it says someone so has dyslexia. And I was like, yeah, what am I supposed to do? Yes, you know, I mean, it was very weird. And I said, okay. And so I went to the teacher and I said, hey, let's start a referral packet because you can't just look at the kid and say, oh, I know. They're dyslexic.

18:52There you go. I don't know what that child went through with that particular pediatrician to get that identification, which is just so odd to me. And that is still happening. Oh my gosh, it is still happening where I don't know about it, like a doctor's note per se, appearance around the country, especially in the states where they say that dyslexia is a medical diagnosis, so that a Florida and Georgia are two of them, right? And they're sending them to their pediatricians. And obviously the pediatrician, I think that from there will refer them, but so many parents are thinking that they need to go to pediatricians for that diagnosis. And I just feel like until we can federally get it all on the same page, that it's just so disheartening that I think that it's 2026. And we have some great examples, and we have some really bad examples in terms of how states are handling dyslexia. And the very sad thing is it's more bad examples.

19:53And I would just love, I would do anything to see different because it's putting kids in the way back time machine. It feels like even in 2026. Well, in those states, wouldn't they consider a clinical psychologist's diagnosis of dyslexia and medical diagnosis? They're going to want actually like a neuropsychologist to do it. I don't think the ed psychs work the same. They need MD on cell level behind the name. And I've heard some states are requiring a brain scan. That's the latest I heard. Whoa. Now, look, that's from social media commentaries. With somebody telling me that I was wrong and it requires this and this. And I was like, wow. OK, I'm going to let it. After a while, you can't fight that fight on social media. You just go, OK. And I really do try to not fight with it. Right. Comment. See, I don't know if I can put out the social like you do, because I would sit there, read the comments, and then get depressed,

20:56or be the keyboard warrior. And come back with something. I've found that I do it a little bit, but I will tell you that I purposely don't do any of the posting or comments on Facebook or meta. I just live in the little tiny TikTok world. And those videos get put on to, you know, just because I see there's a lot more duken on Facebook. Yeah. Or warriors. I think it's interesting. I think one other step toward that is if we have in Texas, it's been identifying just like, see, I say that in quotes. If we've been doing that and doing the therapy for all of these children, and they have gone on to live wonderfully successful lives, because they got the proper intervention, doesn't that show evidence that you don't have to have a medical diagnosis to identify academically that somebody has a need? Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I agree with you.

21:56The information and the right voices just aren't representing in those states is part of the issue. Missy Purcell sure is trying. Yeah. I love her. Yes. Yeah. She's great. She's great. So let's dive into dyslexia on demand. So can you explain, there may be maybe one or two listeners who don't know what dyslexia on demand is. I can't imagine or bump in my ear. You go. Come on. But what led you to find that? I thought when I first saw it, I was like, that is brilliant. And you did this before COVID, right? I did. Yeah, yeah. It's brilliant. So kind of explain what it is and what led you in that direction. So it was a kind of combination of knowing that all the counts live in Texas. So that's a piece of it. I also, for anyone, I live basically really also. So even though I'm outside of Austin, I'm of an hour west of Austin in a little cute

22:58town called Johnson City, where my kids are in classes of 40 to 50 kids, I know where that is. I've driven past it before. And so out here, there really isn't access. There are a couple of cuts, but the issue is that they fill up immediately. And then somebody's got to wait for two years. And that's kind of all she wrote. Yeah. So I think that's where it started is just the thought of how do we make this work? And my master's program back in 2000, I was doing distance learning. That's how it started, honestly. And I'm going to give complete credit to my husband who said, why don't you do it over zoom? Yes, he did give me the idea, but I ran with it.

24:00And I had kids who were in my private practice that I had already established a track center of trust with their parents. And I said, hey, would you be open to this? And you know that they were all like, you mean, I don't have to draw anymore? And they were all willing to do it. I think because of that trust in the growth that they had seen in their kids. So I started, you know, they were my guinea pigs. And so I started playing around with how could this look? And when it started, I did have magnetic boards, one for each kid that I was working with. So I just switch them out and then felt silly now, like looking back at stick where we got to, but that's why it started. It was accessibility. So whether or not you're in a rural area, you're in a state with tons of counts, but you're rural. Yeah. Or you're in a state where we can't access services at all. That's where it was born and my husband sat with that, planting that seed and then COVID

25:06hit. And COVID was definitely a multiplier. I'll say that. It's crazy that you are out there in the Austin area. So close to TEA headquarters and these kids aren't getting their services they should have in their ISDs. That's crazy to me. That's crazy. Yes. A hundred percent. That is the case. So it's funny, like when you look at the population that's around me, there are several very well off districts that have employed counts for a long time, actually. And then it drops off starkly about a few minutes from my house. And it becomes a desert. So yeah, I agree with you though. There's tons of kids around the state not getting adequate services. And I have words about Texas too, but we can thank for another day. Okay. So thinking about how all of that works, I remember the COVID teaching days and I about lost my mind, especially starting the new group.

26:07I was like, oh my gosh, here's your, can you get out this form? And it was the hand ready paid. Get this out now. And I'm showing it to them and trying to get them engaged with the lesson. I had the worst time. So I guess what I would love to ask of you is how one, how do you get the lesson going? How do you get the kids involved? What are some of your processes that you follow to help first off? I am going to be transparent and say that I have not actually worked with a student now for probably about five years. Okay. I am amazing team, so I need to give credit where credit is due. We have a leadership team that does all of that and they are theoretical workers. But I will tell you that I will answer from my experience because yes, I was a therapist here. Right. Right. Right. First off, the kids have a box of tactile materials as they should, but they also have their own version of anything that we're going to throw up on this right and it's organized beautifully.

27:07It does help. But one of the biggest things I would say that one of the foundational things, I think that I frame a lot of initial work whenever we get a new kiddo is relationship building. That's to me where it all starts. And I tell parents in the beginning, don't think you're going to sign in and it's just going to be language therapy all day for exactly 60 minutes. There is going to be time, especially in the beginning, we're going to dive into that. And PS, we're whole child focus. We're going to like lace in that SEL talk. We're going to talk about what's happening in your brain. We're going to do all those things because we need to establish trust with them. And one of the, I think, coolest things are what I've learned. I think another fun perspective is two of my children actually more than two, but in terms of a whole course of therapy, right? Two of them have been students here. Oh, wow.

28:08I also get to experience it as a parent, you know, and anyway, so I will say that there are lots of days guys and y'all know this from your own students. Not every student has made the same. We have some little seven year old girls who are going to show up and they are ready to please and they love working with you. And they're just going to be right there, Johnny, on the spot every single day for two years. And then there are other kids who are resistant. So I think that makes such a big difference. And what I saw on my own kids, especially two of my boys, we live early, right? The bus ride takes an hour, 10 minutes, both ways, and they don't get off the bus till five and total exhaustion when they get home. But we have no other choice. So it has to happen at first four. And so on those days, when, especially in the beginning, too, before they saw the benefit of how this was helping them, they signed on because they really liked Miss Amy or Miss

29:09Ann or Miss Mary, right? So that is what brought them to the table. And then they would see the difference it was making. And then from there, they would sign in for both reasons, right? And then on those hard days, when this is the last thing I want to do, that piece helps. And that's what I would say, Melissa, is one of the most important foundational pieces is recognizing that that therapist match is huge. And one of the things I also tell parents is you are going to drive the match with your child and the therapist more than I'm going to, right? Because I can read your kid on a piece of paper all day long, but you have mama or daddy cut. So that's what I say. And if the choice was not right in the beginning, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Let's rematch them. And that's okay. Because not every therapist is the perfect, you know, summer amazing was seven-year-old, summer amazing was seventh grade, right?

30:10Right. That distinction is really important. So. Absolutely. And now, award from March Bonser. Hey, Melissa. Hey, Amy. So let's talk about who we met at IDA, Tumbleweed. No, I love Tumbleweed's decodable books, and they're for striving readers in grades two through six. My favorite thing about them, in addition to the storylines, is the inclusion of comprehension, spelling and vocabulary activities. Yes, and there's no guessing because they took out the visual distractions. They still have illustrations, but not right next to the print. And Tumbleweed is easy to implement with any core or intervention program. Their teacher guides are jam-packed with multimodal approaches. Find them out at www.tumbleweedpublishing.com Hi, this is Amy Redenrop, and as part of the Dyslexia Duo podcast team and owner of Discovery Dyslexia Services, I want to talk to you about my business. Our Cout train team offers expert, virtual or in-person therapy located in Prosper, Texas,

31:15using proven dyslexia curricula like take flight, build, MTA, alphabetic phonics, and reading by design. We also provide crucial independent evaluations and advocacy services. Don't wait. Empower your child today. Visit www.dyscavereed.com to learn more. And again, it's www.dyscovred.com Discovered, covering all your dyslexia needs. Let's return to the show. So then thinking further with that, I can see the impact you've made in the area, not only in Texas, but I know that you've spread out across the nation. So do you have any figures of how many people you're able to reach with this amazing program that you've created from the ground up basically? We are currently, I think, last count and probably about half of the U.S. states are serving

32:20kids. I think we have currently about five kids abroad, but over time it's been more than that, right? Right. Between testing and all the things I know that we've served over a thousand kids over time. And currently we probably serve about, I don't know, about 200 kids probably. Wow. So you're in a lot of the states, half of the states. That's amazing. Yeah, we're in half this good right now. And always looking for more, of course, absolutely. So let's go on to your other venture that don't call on me podcasts. Yeah. Pretty amazing. So you've kind of talked about at the beginning of this podcast, how when you talk to people, they say, I thought I was the only one or I thought I was dumb or something along those lines, is that kind of what led you to started or what led you to the podcast? So that definitely led me to the podcast. I think is just hearing that the parents feel so desperate, I think also.

33:25And that's always been, I think, more than anything. I'm such a emotional, let's connect, yeah, kind of person. Let's talk about our feelings, type of person and parents also are always just looking for some kind of guidance and how I can best support my child. And I always say, look, language therapy is really important, but let's look at the big picture and make sure that we're supporting their emotional needs at the same time. Maybe I should have gone into therapy, I don't know, but, but you did go into therapy. Yeah, I know, right? The other kind of therapy, but, you know, so we tend to work a lot with educational advocates and attorneys. And there's just this one advocate who, when you meet people and you're like, that's my person, kind of thing. And so she works out of California. We felt like this and she always said, but you're doing such amazing things, I'm just so on board, she had sent us many clients and she's like, I want to do something with you.

34:26Nice. And that's not the podcast was born actually. So it was just from that desire to like do something more. And we both knew that we wanted to talk and share stories of dyslexia because I feel like we just hear so, so many or I feel like I hear them on such a regular basis from parents or from people who are trying to support and advocate for kids with dyslexia and telling me these stories and sad stories. And I just felt like there's so many podcasts out there that are talking about information about dyslexia. And a lot of them are really at the core of it, probably feeling kind of advanced for parents who just feel so overwhelmed and don't know how to sort through the information and don't know, I don't know what phonological processing is. Let's talk about, you know, something that I understand. And I felt like there's so many stories of dyslexia that need to be pulled. And not that those other podcasts are not important, you know, I think that talking

35:29to all the dyslexia professionals is also equally valuable. But I wanted to look at the emotional side of it, I think. And like what shared experience is everybody having and get it from the mouth of someone with dyslexia. And the person that I do the podcast with, she is herself dyslexic. And that is what led her to become an educational advocate for kids with dyslexia and fight for them. But she can do it through the lens of her own like she's walked that same experience. And so I think that for me, that has been the best professional development that I have ever done. Because I know how to help a child overcome their language processing, but I didn't walk to that. Right. I did walk that walk. And that to me is just the most pivotal thing is when you see the thing experience, everyone stories a little bit different, but that underlying feeling is exactly the same. And I think that if all teachers could understand that, yeah, they would approach everything

36:29a bit more gingerly. Early on, when we first started, I want to say like fourth, fifth episode that we had recorded. We had my childhood friend. So her mom was dyslexic, but was never identified. My best friend and I just figured it out and as I became a dyslexia therapist. And then three of her four siblings, including my best friend is dyslexic. And then she had seven kids. Four of her kids are dyslexic and now their grandkids are coming and I want to say three of the grandkids are dyslexic. So we had early on multi-generational dyslexics on our show. My best friend, her daughter and her grandkids. And sweetly, I was like 12 at the time, so she's just going, yeah, just talking about it. It was interesting to hear my best friend Carolyn's perspective about dyslexia and growing up, we knew each other from age three to now. She was a super duper soccer player. That's where she excelled. She said, I just thought school wasn't my thing.

37:31And then her daughter's now in the business world and she goes, I'm having a hard time keeping up at work with the emails and everything, but I don't want to tell anybody I'm dyslexic. And then to her daughter who received take flight in the public school and is now doing AP work in public ed. And it's just interesting to see the opportunities as they arose over time. And I think it really does pull in your heart shriek. You really do see how it has impacted a generation because we know it's genetic. We know it's genetic and it's going to pop up somewhere. And I can remember sitting in arts and sitting in 504s when I was still in public ed and telling the parent what I was seeing, what the scores were because we did that educational identification and all of that. And the mom or the dad going, that's how I did it. That's how I read. That's how I felt. That's what I'm doing. You can see the realization like, oh my gosh, this is me, you know, it's interesting. And then also those parents who lived that and they will now beg steal borrowed do anything

38:39to get their child appropriate intervention now so that they don't have to have the same experience that they did. Right. The relationship part is always my favorite part. I love getting the new kids and just trying to build up their self esteem and help them see how they can learn. They can learn exactly the way they need to learn how to read. They just nobody has just really ever helped them the way that they're bringing to the learn. We are. We're going to get going. We're going to do it. Everything's going to be fine. We just love that. We just really, both of us enjoy it so much, you know, yeah. And I think that so often for kids, once I get that diagnosis, it is like a breath of fresh air. Like, oh, you know, an explanation. And so spending that time doing that is just so empowering because of the stories they've been telling themselves. Absolutely. Absolutely. So that kind of leads me to my question too. We were talking about just in general, helping spread the awareness of dyslexia and how important

39:41that is. Last year, we had Dr. Sandman Hurley on our show and she said she thinks it's gotten better. There's still a long way to go. So what are some ways that we can spread awareness so that more kids can feel that successful feeling? I very much feel like proper education starts from the top down, but also we can execute that better than some places are doing. So I think that it's like a domino effect a lot of times. So if we can across states in the United States, make sure that the progression of legislation probably looks similar that it has in Texas. And I actually like kind of created an infographic of the roadmap of like how Texas got to where it is today and use it as a blueprint and start there, but also make sure that there's some system of checks and balances, right, to that implementation.

40:44So somebody in the capital can pass, you know, laws all day long, but how are we going to make sure that it gets implemented and not misinterpreted in execution? So I think that is a huge piece of it. Another thing that I would love to see happen that has not happened yet is insurance coverage for this like therapy. And I've gotten in touch with some of the people who pushed some of the legislation and trying to say, Hey, I think this is next step because just like, you know, autism got it covered federally with time, but it started at the state level. And you know, one of the distinctions is that one is definitely considered a medical time. So the other one, you know, argument, but either way, this is absolutely life changing. When we look at, there's that Forbes article that came out recently and like the billions of dollars that the workforce is losing annually by not helping to support kids with dyslexia.

41:48So, you know, let's look at all the money we're spending in prisons and all that kind of stuff. Goodness, you know, if one could just shift some of those dollars that are earmarked for the prisons into appropriate services for kids with dyslexia, what a different world it would be. And so I think it's just getting the right people to start seeing things through a different lens that we need to really start, you know, treating our kids. Obviously, you know, and again, I could go on or not. It starts in higher ed. It starts. There's so many places, but it's just such a huge, systematic change that needs to happen on so many layers. And I think that's maybe how it will slowly happen, but we are way too far behind. But yes, Dr. Hurley is correct that we have made progress, we've made a lot of progress. Special education has also changed significantly since I first started it. So it's all those little baby steps. I would just like them not to be baby steps.

42:49I want us to be taken full strides, you know, sweeping change. Yes, sweeping change, man. It's the time. You know, in a school just certain in which I worked and actually a several of them in this area, I believe what is happening now, I know in some of them, they're starting to make the dyslexia therapist travel to different schools because the funding isn't there. And I think, are you kidding me? You just imagine getting up and leaving your day with a full list of kids at your one campus and you're going to another campus and you're teaching another set of kids who have severe learning disabilities in some cases. And then you're also adding in the parent reports, the principals at two different campuses. I mean, it is mind-blowing to me to think about where we are with the dyslexia awareness and where we still need to go and how this is kind of how we're treating the people who are in the front lines fighting the good fight, like you said before.

43:52We all are here for a reason. We all love this. Yep. And the prioritization is not there, right? But until the right people start recognizing that this has such a widespread impact and the overall trickle down effect that is going to do for even their campus scores for everything, right? For the emotional health of all of these kids, 20% of our kids, right, until we start having that realization. But sadly, I've talked to superintendents who say we don't have any dyslexic kids in our history. Yeah. Oh my goodness. Yes you do. You just don't know who they are. That reality is still there, that there's a lot of people who think that. I've been told that by teachers before. So with your business, I'm sure you get a lot of people who reach out to you that are just like, I don't know what to do. I suspect my child's dyslexic.

44:52What are my first steps? How would you advise parents that reach out to you for situations like that? So I like to always just inform parents and educate parents. And like I said, trust the verify, right, let's make sure that we know what we're getting into before we start it. So obviously testing is the first place to go. That being said, that can be a whole situation, right? Now, not so much in Texas, but around the country, very much so it's usually a big time blockade. And sometimes they fight for years to get them tested to find out that really they don't have appropriate services, even if they get them. So first thing I would say is just really educate yourself in what the reality of that journey is going to look like, not what the federal mandates say, but what your true journey is so that you can probably have less frustration throughout the process.

45:52But collect data, just make sure that you're a great steward. I think for your kid, and again, you know, that whole trust but verify situation, educate yourself and your child, I think, too. In dyslexia, I think that piece is really important, but sadly, a lot of what I'm telling parents is to just go in, eyes wide open. Exactly. Exactly. I don't know if I answered that question. No, I think that's totally fine. I know that like just this last week, I had a parents reach out of a young child and they say, do you do assessments? Yes, we do assessments. Is he in a school district? Yes. And he's going through testing right now. He's like, okay, well, if he's already going through the assessment, why are you pulling me? And, you know, well, we just want to make sure it's like, okay, it's not exactly it. And we do testing also, but we do dyslexia determinations, right? So I always say, let me explain to you that I can do this, but I want to make sure that

46:56this is ultimately going to get you where you need it to go, right? Though if you are a homeschool parent and just want an answer, this is a great opportunity. If you're an adult and I've always wondered, this is a great opportunity for you. But this is not going to get your child in bed. Right. So I definitely also tried coaching them and informing them on the differences and what it's going to take. And so again, I think it's such a bolus of information that these parents are having to the drink it from a fire hose all at once. And so as much as it can get broken down and also kind of ripped the bandaid off to the reality of what they might be looking at, but look, I always say, go to your school. And here's how you do it. And I wish you the best of luck. Best of luck for you. Best of luck for you. Yeah. And I'm glad you're transparent like that because I do that too because I'll say, look, I can do the assessment and I can write the report and I can review it with you. And I can send it to the district, but it's still their decision whether they accept

47:58reject or modify what this is. And I don't think a lot of parents realize that. No, they don't. And so that's why I get why I'm just like, let's look at this through the sad reality lens. Man, I'm not trying to write on your parade because the most important thing is we get to that finish line for your child. Yeah. That's right. Our next question was talking about adults with dyslexia and I was thinking about how in a perfect world, in my perfect world, it would have my regular students and then my adult students who would come down and talk to my younger students and be like, yes, you can do this. I was in the same position you were. Wouldn't it be really cool if we could get them to all work together and like just coach each other? I think that would be so cool. But totally. Do you have adult students? I have students who have gone on to college and a mom just messaged on Facebook to her family or her family and friends, but she tagged me in it about how well her son is doing

49:02and she said that he was severely dyslexic when he was in first grade. And I remember the meeting vividly where she just balled and she actually told us that we were wrong. We were wrong. This is the case. And we started the therapy and he just started making progress. He did really well. Now he's in college. He's succeeding. And she just shouted out to me and I just thought that was so sweet of her. But I think it just goes to show that when you do the right thing, the kids are going to be successful. But I want the kids to also recognize that they have the power to help the younger generation kind of see that they do have the power too. I agree. So do you think that there's anything like, what would you do? Because you're like, you're like the guru now, like all the, you got all these cool things that you can do with dyslexia on demand and tick-tock. What do you think that, can we do anything like that where we could help? I love that idea. And I, first off, isn't it fun when we've been doing this so long that like, we worked

50:05with you in first grade and now you're an adult? Yeah. I have several of those too. And it's, and I'm still in connection with them and their parents. And I agree. I think that's a beautiful idea. We are always trying to come up with a new free webinar out there. And we definitely try to get some at least one a year that is focused on just that voice, like somebody being an empowering voice and having some kind of like mentor system. I can see in like, you know, kind of bringing a bunch of people together to facilitate that would just be such a cool idea. And I could see how, here I am, like, like, over Zoom. And then they could break off into, you know, individual meeting room. I knew you could think of it, Megan. Yes, but I do think that especially those who have gone through the process of intensive intervention, their perspective, I think, is so important that provide to parents and

51:11to kids who are just starting the journey. Because we'll tell you, there are so many parents who have newly identified even middle school and high schoolers, high schoolers, about to go into colleges. And they are coming to me saying, you know, I want to get my child services. And I say, okay, but before we're willing to start that, I want to meet with your child. Because I want them to understand what kind of dedication and commitment that's going to take. And not that you're not welcome to join us, but we need your buy in big time. Right. And I think that voice of the person who's done it and is now in college could be an amazing asset to that conversation. Because so many of them have their attitude and perspective of, it's been so hard this whole time. Why not just keep going or they don't know the difference, right?

52:14They've only lived in their dyslexic brain, right, this whole time, right. And they're part of that percentage that we know is a big percentage of kids who are compensating and working 600 times harder than everybody around them. But they made it to junior senior year. So why should I now get more pills and have to go through it? And I say, you know, what you're not going to have the perspective until you start having the experience of just releasing that pressure about where your brain starts to process the language automatically behind the scenes and you're not having to put all that conscious thought into it. And so having somebody else tell them that firsthand that they can relate to would be just amazing. I love that idea. Yeah. And I love your statement just that's a great way to put it to about just you don't really know what you don't know. Like you said earlier. Just don't know what you don't. Yeah. So what webinars have y'all done this year? Did I see that y'all did a simulation, right?

53:15Yeah. We just did a simulation which was exciting. We had 1200 people registered. Totally. So they need out there. You guys just like everyone wants that information. We've done so many of those at this point and we do at least one a year and never have I not had someone cry. Yeah. And understandably, right? Because that perspective is just so huge. But besides that, we do have an April we're doing one for teachers on dyslexia and of course trying to make sure and not only educate them on dyslexia, but also how to approach the empathy with which to approach yours. In the summer we're doing a full emotional language, you know, an approach in dyslexia, like what you're dyslexic brain. Let's teach you about your brain. Let's try to build that confidence in that empowerment. So we're doing that. We're going to do one on accommodations and breaking it down for different levels.

54:16K to two, three to five upper middle school and high school because that's so different and parents are just always so desperate for that information. And so are teachers, I think. And then wrapping up the year with a repeater that we have done the last several years that goes over huge and that is no dumb questions, though I am usually there. We bring in a diag that we work closely with the third party one and then an educational advocate and parents submit their questions ahead of time and they're answered by those professionals. We also at one time last year, we brought in like, again, the SEL, the emotional experience of dyslexia person. We brought in Jacob St. House, who is a therapist, he's another TikTok and all the social media people much bigger for personality, quote, unquote, than me. He has a practice where he focuses really on kids and adults with dyslexia and that

55:18bad experience. Right. So always trying to have that representation, but that one is huge too. And what all of that says to me that we keep it so basic is that people are still just desperate for the basics. I think that a lot of times, especially when you're doing this kind of stuff and you're trying to educate the masses, and we tend to like just go very deep from our professional lens, right? What's orthographic mapping? No one cares what orthographic mapping is. There are still people out there that think that dyslexia is tied to intelligence, right? And just the most basic stuff or that it's be for thirsty for that information. Yeah. So if people want information about your next webinar or they want to enroll a student or even your don't call on me podcast, where can they go to find out more information? They can go to dyslexia on demand.com. There you go. For all of it. We just had a website refresh this weekend and I'm so happy. Like the new ones up and it looks so much better, but you can enroll for all of the free

56:22webinars on the website. You can find information about dyslexia on demand at the website. We're trying to grow and very shortly there will be downloadables. We already have links to I make videos on YouTube. All of those are accessible there. A link to the podcast is on the website tons of blogs. There's a lot of information and really trying for it to be just a resource for parents. Like not just not everybody can access services, right? And that's just a very savouryality. And so we're also adding a page to all the state funding sources that you can go to. Perfect. Yeah. Because that's becoming a bigger and bigger conversation as we know here in Texas. So. Absolutely. Are you going to be at Alta? Are you speaking again at Alta? I am not. I've been asked to possibly be on a panel if it sounds like a big question. There might be a speaker who might not be able to do it.

57:23So I might be showing up on a breakout panel, but I'm not really sure. So it's a big question mark right now, huh? But I will be there. OK. So I will. I definitely want to be there. Awesome. Looking forward to it because I know we'll be there too. Awesome. Are you going to be recording? I think so. Are we recording? Yes. The little producer said we are. It's awesome. I can't wait to see you guys there. Yeah, same. OK, so we're going to start our lightning round. We didn't send you these. Yes, so these are just quick, one word responses to these kind of fun questions. OK, let's get started. OK, so coffee or tea? Oh, coffee. All right. And these are like no brainer ones. Right. So I always say it's like when they did it on friends and Phoebe was like, don't think just say it. Right. And then something happened. Anyway, OK. So are you a morning person or a night person, a night owl? Morning.

58:25You guys, if I could justifiably go to bed at 7 p.m. I would. You don't need a reason to go to bed at 7 p.m. Just go. I've got to point you kids who need my support. But I'm in pajamas by 7 p.m. So it's almost bedtime for you. All right, one word you wish people would stop associating with dyslexia. Oh, dumb. Excellent. Yeah, yeah. A book or an audiobook, and it doesn't have to be about dyslexia, but it could be that really stuck with you. Where are the reference girls? Well, right. Oh, my gosh. OK, my first year when I was telling you about when I first taught in Sloddale that first year, and I had no dyslexia training, I had the whole language, because that was the landscape at the time. That's when I was friend and two. Yeah, yeah, and I broke my six graders up into reading groups. And we were taking novels, and I was taking it apart, and we were doing vocab. I was a little ahead of my time, I think. But one of my groups did wear the red, fur and grows, and they just, they had never

59:28read it before. And it's a country school, and I'm really surprised. And they just cried and cried, and I was like, oh, my gosh, they're going to go home, and they're going to tell their parents why they're crying as a movie made them read where the red, fur and grows, and they're just really sad. Oh, I remember. I think that was probably the first book as a kid that I read that created a love for reading. And I also just, that was the first thing that popped to my brain. Yes, there's no end grade dyslexia books. That one changed me. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. If dyslexia had a superpower, what would it be? Oh, I would say motivation. I would say determination. 100%. You got to, there's a reason that there's so many dyslexic entrepreneurs, you know, and you know what, they're going to, if I don't do a very good job of reading and spelling, I'm going to be able to hire somebody who can do that stuff for me, right? And, but I've been fighting my whole life, and I'm going to, I'm going to make it work.

1:00:32So, absolutely. One myth about dyslexia, you'd best, right now, if you could, that it is a medical diagnosis that it's a vision issue, that vision therapy is going to fix it, that colored overlays are going to fix it. Mm-hmm. You could just keep going. I had a parent there, they, they, they was a transfer of art, and they came in, they go, and he needs his colored overlays. So just go to the office depot, I'm like, yeah, that's not how that works. And what I tell people is if it makes you feel better and you think, but I don't say placebo effect, but if you feel like that is helping, and I'm not dyslexic, so I can't tell you, right? Either way, but I'm sorry, like, when the whole district thinks it's going to be solved because they got colored overlays, which I've also heard, you know, oh boy, okay, advice in three words for dyslexic kids. Oh, just wait till you're out of school. And why I say that is because I feel like school, they're like, they're running a marathon

1:01:34every single day. It's a gauntlet of school. It's like they're constantly having a pure mirror. So I'm talking about, of course, kids who haven't gotten that intervention, which is the vast majority, right? Every single day is an uphill climb. And then everyone's like, oh, but I've got these superpowers and they're like, okay, to superpowers, right? Because they can't see that yet. But once they get out of school, once they don't have to carry that experience that every single day, once they're far low is developed, they're going to start seeing the gifts that they do have. And so whether or not that's the best advice, I feel like, you know, wisdom and perspective come with age. And when you don't have to run that marathon every single day to the same extent you did in school, I think your life's going to get better. Absolutely. All right. Last one. Something that still surprises you about dyslexia. Oh, just the misinformation about it. I think that we said this over and over to a certain degree, right?

1:02:34Like that in 2026 with the crazy amount of research and powerful information we have at our fingertips that were still in the same spot. Yeah. We don't have to go to the library to look up information about it. It's right at our fingertips and we're still laboring under misconceptions. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for giving up a big old chunk of your Sunday to do this with us. We really appreciate it. I've loved it and I was very honored to get the invitation. It was blessing and due all of it when it comes to me. It's pretty cool. Thank you. Love to stop by our table at Alta. Yes. I'm sure we'll probably be close to each other soon. Probably. Yeah. I don't know what the room looks like, but probably. Okay. So this is Amy. And Melissa. And we're the dyslexia duo. Until next time. Bye. Bye. The dyslexia duo hosts are Melissa Dean and Amy Rodenroth.

1:03:35The producer is Greg Rodenroth. dyslexia awareness is so important. Please share with your friends, family, and anyone who needs to know more about dyslexia. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X at the dyslexia duo. Thanks for listening. Bye.