Dyslexia resources & support
Welcome to the When the Letters Danced Resource Page — a space created for parents, teachers, and anyone walking beside a child who learns differently. Below you’ll find trusted tools, research links, and supportive organizations that help bring understanding, awareness, and hope to families affected by dyslexia and other learning differences. “I created this page to give parents and teachers what I didn’t have growing up — a place to start, a place to learn, and a reminder that your child’s difference is not a defect, it’s a design. With understanding and kindness, every child can learn to dance with their letters too.”
For parents
How to recognize early signs of dyslexia
Questions to ask during your child’s school meetings or evaluations
Finding a dyslexia-trained tutor (search local IDA chapters or learning centers)
Building confidence at home through patience, positivity, and praise
Support groups and online communities for parents
Tutoring Help for Parents
If your child is struggling to read, write, or keep up in school — don’t lose hope. The right tutor can make all the difference. Many parents don’t realize there are specialists trained to teach children with dyslexia and other learning differences in ways that truly work for their unique brains.
Here’s how and where to start:
📞 Who to Contact for Tutoring Help
- Local Dyslexia Centers or Learning Clinics
- Search online for “dyslexia tutoring near me” or contact a local IDA (International Dyslexia Association) chapter.
- Many offer directories of certified tutors or testing specialists.
🔗 Find your local IDA branch
- Your Child’s School or District Office
- Ask to speak with the school counselor, reading specialist, or special education coordinator.
- Schools are often required to provide accommodations or connect families with intervention programs.
- Private Dyslexia Tutors
- Look for tutors trained in Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Barton, or other multisensory, structured literacy programs.
- These approaches are proven to help retrain the brain for reading success.
- Nonprofit and Faith-Based Programs
- Some churches, libraries, and community centers offer free or low-cost tutoring programs.
- Ask your local library if they have literacy partnerships — many quietly do!
- Online Tutoring Platforms (with Dyslexia Specialists)
- Learning Ally — audiobook library and tutor support for struggling readers.
- Wyzant — lets you search specifically for dyslexia-trained tutors.
- Read Learning Center — offers online dyslexia tutoring.
💬 Tips for Parents
- Ask potential tutors what methods they use — make sure they’re trained in evidence-based, multisensory techniques.
- Trust your gut. Choose someone who makes your child feel safe, patient, and seen, not pressured or shamed.
- Ask for weekly progress updates so you stay part of the learning journey.
- Remember: your child’s confidence is just as important as their reading level.
Here’s the official link for the private school: The Winston School of San Antonio
About the School:
The Winston School of San Antonio is a private, college-preparatory school that specializes in teaching students with learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia, and language-based learning challenges.
Recommended books
Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz
The Dyslexic Advantage by Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (beautiful for parents and children to read together)
Words from Brandy
“I created this page to give parents and teachers what I didn’t have growing up — a place to start, a place to learn, and a reminder that your child’s difference is not a defect, it’s a design. With understanding and kindness, every child can learn to dance with their letters too.”
“The teacher who understands a child’s struggle becomes a bridge between failure and possibility. Every time you pause to offer grace, every time you see potential instead of problems—you’re changing a story in motion.”
— Brandy Lawhon, Author of When the Letters Danced
Tools for Teachers
Teachers are often the first to see the struggle behind a child’s silence, confusion, or tears.
This page is for you — the compassionate educators who want to understand dyslexia more deeply and teach with patience, creativity, and love.
When you take the time to learn how a dyslexic brain works, you don’t just change reading scores — you change lives.
Understanding dyslexia
Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity – Research, facts, and inspiring stories that shed light on the dyslexic brain.
International Dyslexia Association (IDA) – Offers information, webinars, and a directory to find certified tutors and testing resources.
Understood.org – A parent-friendly site with practical strategies, printable guides, and expert-backed tips.
Reading Rockets – Tools for teachers and parents to help struggling readers succeed.
🧠 Understanding Dyslexia in the Classroom
- Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 students, yet many go undiagnosed.
- These children are often bright, creative, and intuitive thinkers — they just process language differently.
- With the right tools and support, they can thrive in any classroom.
🛠️ Practical Tools & Teaching Strategies
- Multisensory Learning Approaches
Engage all the senses during reading and writing lessons — seeing, saying, touching, and hearing letters helps the brain make stronger connections.
- Use sand trays, textured letters, and colored overlays for reading.
- Encourage students to trace letters in the air or on their desks.
- Incorporate movement and rhythm into phonics lessons.
- Visual Supports
- Anchor charts with color-coded letters and word families
- Step-by-step visual instructions for assignments
- Daily schedules and expectations displayed clearly on the board
- Technology Tools
- Speech-to-text apps: Google Voice Typing, Dragon Anywhere, or Read&Write
- Audiobooks: Learning Ally, Bookshare, Audible for Education
- Font and format aids: Use OpenDyslexic font or adjust spacing/contrast to reduce visual stress
- Encourage and Empower
- Allow extra time on reading or written work
- Grade for effort and understanding, not spelling mistakes
- Give oral options for reports and assessments
- Offer short movement breaks to prevent overload
📚 Recommended Teacher Resources
- IDA Teacher Training – Professional development and certification programs for structured literacy.
- Reading Rockets for Educators – Free videos, lesson plans, and teaching guides.
- Understood for Educators – Classroom strategies and tools for inclusive teaching.
- Made by Dyslexia Training – Free teacher training backed by Microsoft and the IDA.
Parent Advocacy Resources (U.S.)
“If you are a parent reading this and feeling confused, overwhelmed, or unsure of your rights — you are not alone. Below are trusted organizations that step in to protect children with learning disabilities. These groups know the laws schools must follow, and they help parents fight for the support their children deserve.”
From My Heart to Yours
Before you scroll through these resources, I want to tell you something in my own voice, from my own story:
I’ve been the child sitting in a classroom that didn’t know how to teach me…
and I’ve also been the mother sitting in meetings fighting for my son to get what he needed.
I know how confusing it feels. I know how overwhelming it gets. I know the fear, the frustration, the anger, and the loneliness.
But you’re not powerless — and you’re not alone.
These are the exact kinds of supports I wish every parent knew about when they first start this journey. These people know the laws, they know the rights, and they help parents stand strong when the school system pushes back.
If you’re tired, scared, or unsure where to start, begin here.
Your voice matters more than you think — and these resources will help make it even stronger.
Wrightslaw (National Special Education Law + Advocacy)
Website: Wrightslaw.com
What they do:
- Teaches parents their legal rights
- Breaks down IEP, 504, IDEA, and special education laws
- Helps parents understand exactly what schools must provide
- Offers free articles, template letters, and state-by-state contacts
Perfect for parents who feel lost or confused.
Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs)
Website to find your state PTI: https://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center
What they do:
- Free help for parents
- Will attend meetings with you
- Teach you your child’s rights
- Help you request evaluations, IEPs, 504 plans
- Help you challenge a school that’s not doing enough
Every state in the U.S. has at least ONE.
Office for Civil Rights (OCR) – U.S. Department of Education
Website: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html
What they do:
- Handles education discrimination
- Protects students with disabilities under Section 504
- You can file a complaint if a school refuses to help your child
- They investigate schools and require them to fix violations
OCR is powerful — schools do not want them involved.
Disability Rights Texas (For Texas Parents)
Website: https://disabilityrightstx.org
What they do:
- Free legal support for Texas families
- Will help fight for accommodations
- Help with IEP/504 issues
- Step in when schools violate disability rights
- Will explain Texas education law in simple language
Since you are in Texas, this is the strongest support available.
The TEA (Texas Education Agency) – Special Education Division
Website: https://tea.texas.gov/special-education
What they do:
- Oversees public schools
- Provides Dyslexia Handbooks, parent rights guides
- Investigates complaints
- Makes schools follow Texas dyslexia laws
- Offers direct helplines for parents
This is who schools answer to in Texas.
COPAA (Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates)
Website: https://www.copaa.org
What they do:
- National network of special education attorneys and advocates
- Helps parents find someone to attend meetings
- Provides guidance when schools deny services
- Offers trainings and legal help
If a school is resisting hard, COPAA is strong backup.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
Website: https://dyslexiaida.org
What they do:
- Dyslexia-specific resources
- Helps parents understand laws, evaluations, reading rights
- Offers referrals to trained advocates
- Provides science-based reading methods parents can request
Perfect for dyslexia-focused support.
SPEDTex (Texas Special Education Information Center)
Website: https://www.spedtex.org
What they do:
- Free support for Texas parents
- Explain IEPs, 504 plans, dyslexia services
- Walk parents through the process
- Provide direct help when schools mislead parents
- Offer helplines and real humans to talk to
A hidden gem most Texas parents don’t know exists.
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
Website: https://www.ncld.org
What they do:
- Parent guides
- Legal rights explanations
- Advocacy tools
- Research-based recommendations for schools
- Helps parents know EXACTLY what to ask for
Parent Support Hotlines & Legal Rights Contacts
If You Can’t Find What You Need… Reach Out to Me
If you’re reading through these resources and still feel lost or unsure where to start, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I know how overwhelming this journey can feel, and you don’t have to walk it alone. If you message me, I will do everything I can to help guide you in the right direction, connect you with the right people, and make sure you have the support your child deserves. You and your child matter, and I’m here to help.
📞 Important Phone Contacts for Parent Advocacy & Learning-Disability Support
- Disability Rights Texas (statewide legal advocacy)
• Austin (Central TX) : (512) 454-4816
• Intake / Toll-Free : 1-800-252-9108
• Sign-language/Video phone: 1-866-362-2851
• Other regional numbers: North TX (214) 630-0916; West TX (806) 765-7794; East TX (713) 974-7691; El Paso (915) 542-0585; South TX (210) 737-0499 - Texas Project FIRST (Parent training & information for special education)
• Phone: 1-800-866-4726
• Also accessible via their website for guidance for parents. - Dallas Branch of the International Dyslexia Association
• Phone: (972) 233-9107 - IDA Austin (Austin branch of International Dyslexia Association)
• Phone: (512) 666-8190
COPAA (Council of Parent Attorneys & Advocates, national)
• Use their website to find an attorney or advocate in your state. (Phone specific to state may vary)
