More than a decade ago, Cheryl and Fred Allison were close to an empty nest when the couple took on the role of guardianship of Cheryl’s niece Rebecca. She was a bright child, calm and very observant, but she rarely spoke, even at four years old. When Rebecca did speak, her words were most often mixed up. For example, she would look up and say, “Look down, Aunt Cheryl” or say, “Ouch! Cold!” when she meant hot. “This didn’t happen occasionally,” says Cheryl, “It happened constantly.”
Throughout Kindergarten, Rebecca struggled to learn the names of letters or how to count to ten. Now, when Cheryl looks back on Rebecca’s early childhood, she understands that her niece had been exhibiting early signs of dyslexia.
Cheryl has been a colleague of mine for twenty years. She knew my background was in reading intervention, so she would often call me for advice on how to get Rebecca the intervention she needed. It wasn’t an easy process. Rebecca fell further and further behind her peers in school over the next couple of years.
When Cheryl asked Rebecca’s teacher about having Rebecca evaluated for a learning disability in second grade, the teacher responded by saying the school doesn’t screen for learning disabilities because it has no impact on Response to Intervention (RTI) recommendations.
So, Cheryl and Fred took matters into their own hands. They took Rebecca to a psychologist in Knoxville, Tennessee, who specializes in diagnostic and testing services for a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders. “The cost of the evaluation was over $2000 at the time,” Cheryl explains, “and it wasn’t covered by medical insurance. Luckily, we could afford it. I just can’t imagine what it’s like for families who can’t.”
After five visits and a battery of tests, the Allisons received Rebecca’s Independent Education Evaluation (IEE). It stated that she was profoundly dyslexic and gave recommendations for intensive intervention using the Orton-Gillingham method, a method that employs decades of studies in the science of reading.
Within a month of the Allisons receiving the results of Rebecca’s IEE, the state of Tennessee passed the Say Dyslexia Law, which requires school districts to screen all students for characteristics of dyslexia and mandates appropriate intervention without delay for those students whose results indicate a reading disability.
The Allisons were relieved to have a diagnosis and so was Rebecca. Over the summer, Cheryl taught Rebecca to advocate for herself using techniques she learned from organizations such as the International Dyslexia Association and Decoding Dyslexia.
Cheryl reflects on that summer, saying, “When we went to open house at the start of her third grade year, Rebecca marched into her teacher’s room smiling and full of confidence, which was a huge change. She said to her teacher, ‘Hi! My name is Rebecca, and I’m dyslexic. I promise to work hard, but I’m going to need a lot of help. The state just passed a new law to help kids like me, and my Aunt Cheryl can tell you all about it.’ I was so proud of her in that moment!”
Rebecca received Tier III reading intervention, but progress was slow because she had formed a guessing habit that was difficult to break. Orton-Gillingham specialists recommended that she not read text with pictures on the page because it only distracted her from the work of decoding.
"Dyslexics become experts at
guessing based on picture clues"
“Dyslexics become experts at guessing based on picture clues,” Cheryl explains. “The problem is that pictures go away in more advanced books, and the dyslexic is no closer to being able to decode grade-level books. When Rebecca attempted to read picture books, her eyes were all over the page, everywhere but on the words.” Dyslexics have what is sometimes called “word blindness,” meaning the symbols make no sense to them.
After months of attempting to read decodable passages without pictures, Rebecca started to express frustration that she couldn’t read books like her peers. “I read delightful picture books to her all the time,” Cheryl recalls, “but Rebecca wanted to read the ‘real books’ on her own. I get it. She wanted to read literary books with beautiful illustrations and rich plot lines. Who wouldn’t want that?”
That’s when the seed of an idea began to form. Over the years, Cheryl and I have talked about how to sow and grow that seed into an educational product that would serve the unique needs of neurodiverse learners who are not only dyslexic, but also have ADHD, autism, and other neurodevelopmental differences.
Cheryl and I have been dreaming of providing a solution to this underserved student population for over 10 years. This is how Tumbleweed was born. WE WILL provide neurodiverse learners with the highest quality decodable books they deserve! Our innovative readers will avoid visual distractions and allow students the ability to focus on the enormously challenging task of decoding, yet will also provide the very enjoyable experience of viewing rich illustrations and eye catching photography. By embracing a multitude of perspectives as we create our books, we will combat stereotypes and also celebrate the unique backgrounds of each student, nurturing a sense of inclusion and belonging.
It’s been an honor to support the Allison family as they raised Rebecca, whom they now call their daughter. My goal is to help children like Rebecca become self-advocates and avid readers. Our inherent goal at Tumbleweed is to provide a place where every reader finds their own path to confident and joyful reading!
Let’s Tumble!
