Helping you understand and learn about dyslexia and language disability.
Welcome to DyslexiaHelp!
Housed within the School of Education at the University of Michigan, the development and continued support of DyslexiaHelp is made possible by the very generous donations to the website. We are very grateful for this financial support and the opportunity to help those of you with a need for information and an interest in dyslexia and related language-based learning disabilities.
Our goal is to help individuals with dyslexia, as well as parents, employers, and professionals of all kinds who have the privilege to work with dyslexics gain new understandings about dyslexia and language disability, including current research findings and how to design intervention contexts based on best practices.
Most people know that dyslexia refers to a difficulty learning to read, so you may be wondering why throughout the site we are also talking about language disability. We know that oral language provides the foundation to learning to read, spell, and write. Therefore, we will be talking about oral language—because you can’t talk about dyslexia without talking about language development and disability.
We look forward to connecting people from around the country with an interest in dyslexia. We are happy you found us.
Time to get started—Success Starts Here!
The DyslexiaHelp Team
Joanne Marttila Pierson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Project Manager
It is my privilege to have worked with our donor and provided leadership to DyslexiaHelp since its conception in 2009, and to continue in this role. Having expertise in both oral and written language disorders, I bring a unique and rare skill set to DyslexiaHelp. My Masters and undergraduate training are in speech-language pathology (SLP) with degrees from the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University, respectively. I returned to U-M to obtain my doctorate from the School of Education with a focus in Language, Literacy, and Learning Disabilities. I hold certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and State of Michigan licensure in speech-language pathology. In addition, I hold a K-8 teaching certificate. I practiced in the public schools for many years and have had both clinical and administrative positions in for- and non-profit centers. In 2013, seeing a need in Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan, I launched the Literacy, Language, and Learning Insitute (3LI) where dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities are our specialty. I am a past president of the board of the Michigan Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). I also was president of the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor (2020–21), the largest club in Michigan.
In addition to writing for and managing DyslexiaHelp, I read and approve every piece of content prior to it going live. You can say “the buck stops here.” It truly is a gift to work on this website, to have seen it come to fruition, and be a part of the outstanding team that offers this free resource to anyone with internet access. Hats off to our donor!
Mary Margaret Hatch
Web Strategist
I am a rising junior at the University of Michigan studying User Experience Design with a minor in Education for Empowerment. I have experience in coding and website development which I am excited to bring to my work with Dyslexia Help, where I will be responsible for searching for and posting new content to the website and maintaining the social media.
Ken Wilson
Web Design
DyslexiaHelp is the textbook case of how to do a project right. As a small, focused team, we worked hand-in-hand with our U-M DyslexiaHelp counterparts to marry innovative design and technical development with stakeholder needs, industry best practices, and well-planned execution to create a site that will be a valuable and long-lasting tool for students of all ages, professionals, and parents. DyslexiaHelp truly lives up to its motto: “Success starts here!”
Michael Ryan
Guest Blogger
I am a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For over 30 years, I have diagnosed and treated children and adults with learning disabilities, depression, and anxiety disorders. I am the past President of the Michigan Branch of IDA and a past Vice President of IDA. I have authored many articles and chapters on dyslexia and psychiatric disorders including The Other 16 Hours in the Emeritus series. I am presently a member of the faculty of the International Individual and Group Psychotherapy Association. Visit my website, dyslexiadx.com to learn more.
Person-First Language
We believe in person-first language. In other words, we believe that individuals with dyslexia are just that—people first; people who also have a disability, but that is only one part of who they are. That said, you will notice in many places on DyslexiaHelp we refer to people with dyslexia as “dyslexics”. We do this for two reasons. One, the individuals with dyslexia whom we’ve asked refer to themselves as dyslexics, and so we wanted to honor this. And, two, it makes the text easier and shorter to read—in other words, less cumbersome. We thought it important to clarify this should you have wondered while reading DyslexiaHelp.