Dyslexia Duo Podcast Podcast By Aimee Rodenroth / Melissa Dean cover art

Dyslexia Duo Podcast

Dyslexia Duo Podcast

By: Aimee Rodenroth / Melissa Dean
Listen for free

Welcome to the Dyslexia Duo podcast! Your hosts are Aimee and Melissa. We are dyslexia therapists who have years of experience in dyslexia education at both the student and teacher education level. Podcast episodes guide you on dealing with dyslexia from the perspectives of parents, students, and educators. Episodes will discuss the early signs of dyslexia, and delve into the intricacies of various dyslexia approaches and curricula. Many episodes will be dedicated to the challenges that parents experience when attempting to obtain the support that they need for their child from their school system. We will also have guest speakers who are leaders in the world of dyslexia.Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
Episodes
  • Listen Again: Dr. Fumiko Hoeft

    Listen Again: Dr. Fumiko Hoeft
    Mar 21 2026
    The Dyslexia Duo: Neuroscience of Dyslexia: Genetics, Brain Differences, Stealth Dyslexia, and Early Identification with Dr. Fumiko Hoeft Aimee and Melissa host the Dyslexia Duo podcast and interview Dr. Fumiko Hoeft, a psychiatrist and neuroscience PhD who is Campus Dean and Chief Administrative Officer at the University of Connecticut’s Waterbury campus and a professor of psychological sciences, about dyslexia research and identification. Dr. Hoeft describes her path from psychiatry and cross modal integration research to dyslexia neuroscience at Stanford, and shares personal connections through her younger son’s dyslexia and her own suspected symptoms. The discussion covers polygenic, multifactorial genetic risk; variability even among twins; evolving definitions emphasizing neurodevelopmental basis, continuum, context, and psychosocial consequences; “stealth”/resilient dyslexia as strong comprehension despite weak decoding linked to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; brain networks involved in reading and compensation; overlap with auditory processing disorder and ADHD; evidence cautions for interventions; and why early, written school referrals and early intervention reduce costs and social-emotional harm. 01:06 Introducing Dr. Fumiko Hoeft 02:38 Career Path to Dyslexia 04:12 Family Connection and Early Signs 06:20 Convincing Parents to Test 08:25 Genetics and Risk Factors 11:09 How Genes Are Studied 15:08 Defining Dyslexia Today 22:55 Stealth Dyslexia Explained 28:35 Brain Networks for Reading 37:12 Auditory Processing Overlap 43:19 Neural Noise Hypothesis 44:34 What Brain Noise Means 48:17 Diagnosing Dyslexia Right 51:15 Parent Documentation Tips 53:35 Working Memory Reality Check 57:09 Why Early Identification Matters 01:01:17 Preschool Risk vs Diagnosis 01:06:57 ADHD Dyslexia Overlap 01:13:45 Strength Based Remediation 01:17:19 Resources and Mentoring 01:20:45 Final Wish and Wrap Up
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Listen Again: Dr. Margie Gillis

    Listen Again: Dr. Margie Gillis
    Mar 14 2026
    The Dyslexia Duo: Dr. Margie Gillis on Dyslexia, Structured Literacy, and Why Teacher Coaching Matters Aimee and Melissa introduce their podcast, The Dyslexia Duo, and interview Dr. Margie Gillis, founder of the Connecticut nonprofit Literacy How, which provides coaching support for teachers from pre-K through high school. Dr. Gillis shares her personal and professional connection to dyslexia through family members and explains dyslexia as a neurobiological, hereditary, language-based learning disability often co-occurring with challenges such as ADHD, anxiety, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia. The conversation distinguishes instructional programs from instructional approaches like Orton-Gillingham and alphabetic phonics, clarifies structured literacy as language-structure content plus explicit, systematic, data-driven pedagogy, and discusses universal screeners, diagnostic assessment, and progress monitoring. They address insufficient teacher preparation and professional development, RTI/MTSS implementation problems, COVID learning loss, “dys-teach-ia,” and why districts avoid using the term dyslexia due to service costs, and Gillis recommends books and describes her Professional Learning Series. 00:00 Meet the Dyslexia Duo 01:06 Why Margie Gillis Matters 03:05 Interview Begins and Literacy How 04:51 Training Roots and Structured Literacy 08:01 Margie Origin Story and Family Dyslexia 10:25 School Pushback and Defining Dyslexia 19:56 Programs vs Approaches OG Explained 27:43 Structured Literacy and Curriculum Must Haves 32:47 Coaching Teachers and Better PD 39:51 RTI MTSS and the Wait to Fail Trap 47:30 Beyond the Score Report 50:33 COVID Learning Loss Debate 54:29 Dyslexia or Dyslexia 58:28 Why Universal Screeners Matter 01:03:16 Sharing Data With Families 01:08:22 Why Districts Avoid Dyslexia 01:12:24 Training Teachers Better 01:14:44 Advice for Parents Teachers 01:18:41 Book Recommendations Roundup 01:24:33 Comprehension and Vocabulary Focus 01:25:53 Closing Thanks and Signoff
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Dyslexia Duo Podcast Episode 84 - Megan Pinchback

    Dyslexia Duo Podcast Episode 84 - Megan Pinchback
    Mar 7 2026
    The Dyslexia Duo: Megan Pinchbeck on Dyslexia on Demand, CALT Training, and the Emotional Experience of Dyslexia The Dyslexia Duo (Melissa Dean and Aimee Rodenroth) interview Megan Pinchbeck, a Certified Academic Language Therapist and founder of Dyslexia on Demand, about her path from special education into CALT training at Scottish Rite in Austin and how intensive training and practitioner rigor affect student outcomes. Megan emphasizes widespread confusion about dyslexia services nationwide, differences among states in identification requirements, and the need for better legislation implementation, educator training, and systemic checks and balances. She explains Dyslexia on Demand’s pre-COVID origins to expand access for rural families, its virtual therapy model, the importance of therapist-student fit and relationship building, and its reach (over 1,000 served; currently about 200 across about half of U.S. states, plus some abroad). She discusses her “Don’t Call On Me” podcast’s focus on shared dyslexia stories and emotional impact, and previews webinars on simulations, teachers, SEL, accommodations, and “no dumb questions.” 00:00 Welcome Dyslexia Duo 00:42 Meet Megan Pinchbeck 01:33 Path to Dyslexia Therapy 04:10 Inside CALT Training 06:42 Who Counts as Certified 08:49 Emotional Side of Dyslexia 13:34 What Schools Get Wrong 17:58 Medical Diagnosis Confusion 22:09 Building Dyslexia on Demand 25:58 Making Virtual Therapy Work 31:54 Program Reach and Growth 32:53 Starting the Podcast 35:12 Emotional Side of Dyslexia 36:31 Generational Dyslexia Stories 38:48 Building Confidence in Kids 39:32 Spreading Awareness and Policy 42:57 School Funding Front Lines 44:40 First Steps for Parents 48:20 Adults as Dyslexia Mentors 53:10 Webinars and Core Basics 55:55 Resources and Where to Find 57:50 Lightning Round 01:02:52 Final Thanks and Sign Off
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 4 mins
No reviews yet