What if one in five people reads the world differently, and our schools aren’t built for them? We sit down with Melissa Duersch of the Nelms Dyslexia Center and Scott Simon of the Don and Millie Nelms Foundation to trace the path from a parent’s alarm to a community-wide solution. Melissa shares how her son’s slow start with letters and sounds collided with a system that shrugged, and how structured literacy, explicit, cumulative, multisensory instruction, unlocked proficiency by fifth grade.

We pull back the lens to show what families face across the country: confusing early signs, conflicting advice, and inconsistent school support. Arkansas stands out with strong K–3 screening laws and a developing statewide Atlas screener, yet implementation varies and many states still lack systematic screening. That gap has real stakes. Research suggests up to 20 percent of people have dyslexia. Without early identification and targeted intervention, children who know they’re different by age four can spiral into anxiety, depression, and school avoidance. With the right approach, the same neurological differences that challenge decoding often power big-picture thinking, creativity, and leadership, traits overrepresented among entrepreneurs and innovators.

We also map what happens when families reach the Nelms Dyslexia Center: assessments that confirm or clarify dyslexia, detailed profiles that highlight strengths, and clear next steps for school accommodations and therapy. Scott shares how the foundation built a regional hub focused on student services and teacher training, bringing rigor and empathy under one roof. If you’re a parent, educator, or policymaker, this conversation offers a practical blueprint: universal screening, science-of-reading instruction, and pathways that respect both the struggle and the strengths of dyslexic learners.

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