Spring Special '26: Fighting for people with dyslexia, with Teresa May, Ph.D.

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Apr 8, 2026

Teresa May, Ph.D., sociologist and longtime dyslexia advocate who directs the Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute. She recounts her personal dyslexia journey and legal fights for her sons' schooling. Conversations cover discovering Margaret Rawson and structured reading methods, founding parent advocacy, the Rawson 55-year study, systemic barriers, and the urgency of early, specialized intervention.

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ANECDOTE

Discovering Dyslexia Through Margaret Rawson

Teresa May discovered dyslexia in her family after her sons struggled and found Margaret Byrd Rawson via a Washington Post article.
She drove to Rawson's home, met her in her 90s, and Rawson told her "there is a key" referring to phonics and specialized instruction.

ANECDOTE

Taking Dyslexia Education Fight To The Courts

Teresa May litigated for her sons' right to appropriate dyslexia instruction and lost at multiple administrative and appeals levels.
The case reached high courts, cost over $100,000, and led her to start a parent advocacy group after press coverage.

ADVICE

Teach The Language Structure As It Is To The Child

Teach the full structure of English "as it is" to each child, from phonemic awareness and phonics to morphology and meaning.
Teresa May quotes Rawson: tailor instruction to the child's abilities and language to avoid leaving anyone behind.

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In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan is joined by executive director of the Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute, Teresa May, Ph.D. Teresa shares her powerful story, from being a student with dyslexia to fighting systemic barriers in education. Teresa and Susan also discuss Teresa's legal advocacy for her sons' right to appropriate dyslexia education; the legacy of Margaret Byrd Rawson, a groundbreaking activist who dedicated her life to helping students with dyslexia success; and the importance of early intervention and understanding each child's unique learning needs.

Show notes:

Download the Dyslexia Support Power Pack.
Listen to Science of Reading Essentials: Dyslexia.
Learn more about the Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute.
Follow the Rawson Institute on Instagram.
Like the Rawson Institute on Facebook.
Connect with the Rawson Institute on LinkedIn.
Listen to Season 2 of Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast.
Join our community Facebook group.
Connect with Susan Lambert.

Quotes:

"There's no time to waste. A child only gets one childhood." —Teresa May

"You teach this complex language as it is to the child, as he or she is. If you do that, you don't leave anyone behind." —Teresa May

"There is a science and an approach that we can take to help kids learn how to read." —Teresa May

"[People] remember the kindness of a teacher or the meanness, but they don't remember the explicit way they learned [to read]." —Teresa May

Timestamps*:
00:00 Introduction: Fighting for learners with dyslexia, with Teresa May
04:00 Teresa's childhood struggles with dyslexia
07:00 The moment of discovery: Finding Margaret Byrd Rawson
09:00 Meeting Margaret: "There is a key, but not many people hold that key"
14:00 The legal battle begins—fighting for her sons' education
19:00 Taking the case through courts and starting parent advocacy
22:00 Margaret Byrd Rawson as an educational pioneer
27:00 Margaret's biological background and the start of her longitudinal research in the 1930s
30:00 The 55-year study following 56 boys: groundbreaking research without technology
33:00 The human impact of good teaching
39:00 The Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute's mission and current projects
44:00 The complexity of dyslexia remediation
45:00 Final thoughts on advocating for children with dyslexia
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute