Michigan Dyslexia Institute 2010 Fact Sheet
The Michigan Dyslexia Institute, Inc. (MDI) was established as a nonprofit educational organization in October 1982 to serve the more than one-half million children and adults with dyslexia in the state. In a very short span of time, MDI emerged as a unique resource and significant educational force in Michigan and in the country. Today:

  • MDI offers the most comprehensive set of services expressly designed to serve children and adults with dyslexia in Michigan.
  • MDI is the only nonprofit organization providing direct remedial reading instruction, teacher training, and public information in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.
  • MDI has presented more public information programs on dyslexia and trained more schoolteachers to teach dyslexic students than any organization in the state.
  • MDI, through its six centers, is the principal provider of one-on-one remedial reading instruction to children and adults with dyslexia in Michigan. Financial assistance is provided as resources permit for those unable to pay.
  • MDI is the only private organization to be awarded state grants to train public school teachers to teach students with dyslexia, and the only one to be formally recognized by the Michigan Legislature for its educational and service contributions to Michigan’s citizens with dyslexia.
  • MDI has participated in a wide range of cooperative programs with state agencies, private businesses, literacy groups, and public and private schools.
  • MDI has been a model and catalyst for action in other states, providing advice and assistance to citizen groups that have formed similar organizations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri.
Through September of 2010 MDI has:
  • Provided 7,126 language and math evaluations, 685 medical diagnoses of dyslexia, 252 diagnoses of A.D.D. or A.D.H.D., and 535 diagnostic consultations and/or interviews. Completed 354,267 hours of one-on-one instruction in reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension, and over 2,522 hours of math instruction. In a sampling of student performance, the average gain in reading in 100 hours of instruction was over 2.8 grade levels.
  • Conducted over 1,312 public information programs throughout the state with groups of interested individuals in schools, town meetings, colleges, social service and health agencies, industry, and government. Provided information about dyslexia upon request at no charge. Typically, MDI mails out approximately 2,000 packets of information yearly. In 2010, continued the renovation of its website, www.dyslexia.net, which is one of the foremost informational sources regarding dyslexia.
  • Trained 2,356 individuals to recognize and teach children and adults with dyslexia. Of this total, over 2,000 were teachers or paraprofessionals in private and public schools. Training, with three notable exceptions, have been Michigan-based. The exceptions have been training programs for 17 instructors in Key Largo, Florida, 92 instructors in Wellington, Florida, and 10 in San Diego, California.
  • Developed a unique Volunteer Teaching Program to provide testing and remedial reading instruction to children and adults who have dyslexia and are unable to afford the cost. Over 100 trained volunteers taught 135 students.
  • Raised over $1,709,642.95 in scholarship funds to provide diagnostic and remedial services for children and adults who are financially disadvantaged.
  • Established and continues to develop its regional centers in Michigan (Lansing, Flint, Harbor Springs, Metro-Detroit, Downriver-Detroit, St. Clair, and a satellite center in Marquette). Testing and remedial instruction are available to clients at all regional centers. Initial funding for these regional centers has come from individual donations and foundations.
  • Received major grants and funding from over 90 Michigan foundations, agencies, and organizations.
  • Provided 5 one-day conferences on dyslexia at teacher training universities in Michigan (Central Michigan University, Western Michigan University, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, University of Michigan). Major funding was provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
  • Contracted with numerous school districts in Michigan to train teachers in Special Education, Chapter 1, Remedial Reading, and General Education: Lakewood Public Schools, Lansing Public Schools, Maple Valley Schools, Greenville Public Schools, Montcalm Intermediate School District, Montcalm Area Schools, Petoskey Schools, Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District, Hillsdale Intermediate School District, Flatrock Community Schools, Sanilac Intermediate School District, West Ottawa Public Schools, Shiawassee Intermediate School District, Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Intermediate School District, Livingston Intermediate School District, Grosse Ile Township Schools, Marquette-Alger Counties (Kellogg Youth Initiatives Project), Calhoun County Reading Council/Calhoun County Intermediate School District (Kellogg Youth Initiatives Project), Detroit Public Schools, Garden City Public Schools, North Branch Public Schools, St. Clair Intermediate School District, L’Anse Creuse Public Schools, Lake City Public Schools, West Branch-Rose City Area Public Schools, Gaylord Public Schools, and Marquette Intermediate School District.
  • Completed a 3-year program with the Michigan Department of Social Services. The Department’s General Assistance clients who participated in 72 hours of instruction gained an average of 2 grade levels in reading.
  • Played a key role in facilitating the development of model school districts. The first two were the Lakewood and Maple Valley Schools, with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. With assistance from a private donor, the Institute assisted the Grosse Ile Township Schools in developing a model program. With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, MDI was a major contributor in efforts to develop a model program in the Upper Peninsula in the Marquette Schools and model programs in Calhoun County, in cooperation with the Calhoun County Reading Council and the Calhoun County Intermediate School District. With local school funding, MDI has worked with the West Branch-Rose City Area Schools to develop a model K-12 program.
  • Received funds authorized by the State Legislature, through the Educational Innovation Grant Program of the Michigan Department of Education, for Teacher Training for Dyslexia. In 1988-1990, trained 56 teachers from 52 districts and prepared 10 of the teachers to be trainers in their own districts. In 1989-90, trained 153 teachers from 76 districts and prepared 19 of them to be trainers.
  • Presented two Regional, Family, and Teacher conferences in Harbor Springs, Michigan in September 1995 and April 1997.
  • Developed the Read to Succeed Program, in cooperation with the Wayne County Probate Court/Juvenile Division and with a Venture Grant from the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. MDI participated in the non-profit organization, Reading to Reduce Recidivism, in Oakland County, which serves the Oakland County Justice System. In 1997 MDI began to provide the training for volunteer instructors who will teach juvenile and adult probationers in the court system.
  • Continued as an affiliate agency in the Capital Area United Way (Greater Lansing).
  • Dyslexia Association of America/Michigan Dyslexia Institute was approved by the Michigan Dyslexia Institute Board of Directors in 1992. MDI received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to plan the Association’s role as a facilitator of new private sector initiatives, that would increase services to children and adults with dyslexia.
  • Senior MDI staff participated in the founding and implementation of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. The Academy, authorized by the Board of Regents of the State University of New York and operating under New York State Education Law, is the only such body in the country so authorized. The Academy certifies individual practitioners and accredits training programs for the Orton-Gillingham Approach, the oldest and most influential of teaching approaches designed expressly for persons with dyslexia. Teaching staff of MDI are expected to engage in continuing professional education that leads to appropriate Academy certification. MDI staff members who are responsible for teacher training are all certified as Fellows of the Academy, the highest level of certification.
  • Provides an in-house continuing professional education program for MDI staff. An average of 8 to 10 workshops are given each year. Abrams Teaching Laboratory and Detroit Metro Center provide monthly workshops for instructors around the state.
  • Senior MDI staff members have been presenters at numerous state, regional, and national professional meetings. Presentations included those made at the Orton Dyslexia Society (International Dyslexia Association), the New York Branch of the Orton Dyslexia Society, the Dyslexia Institute of Wisconsin, Conference on Disabilities at St. Louis, and conferences of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators.
  • Established MDI Community Partnerships in 1995. The partnerships are made up of local volunteers who plan to educate their communities about dyslexia and to advocate for the needs of those with dyslexia.
  • Developed a mail order service, the Dyslexia Store Catalog, with funding from the Kellogg Foundation, to make information and teaching materials on dyslexia more readily available to the public.
  • Worked with media from around the country on stories about dyslexia such as NBC’s Dateline, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Guidepost Magazine.
  • Assisted in the development of Dyslexia Institutes in Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, and in Florida with the Kind Foundation.
  • Established Camp Starlight in 1996, in cooperation with the YMCA of Lansing, Michigan. Located at Mystic Lake Camp, Camp Starlight is an annual one-week camp for students aged 7-16 who have dyslexia. Campers get to meet others with dyslexia, improve their self-esteem, and develop advocacy skills. MDI raised $118,185 to provide over 336 scholarships for needy children.
  • Received approval from Central Michigan University for six undergraduate or graduate credits for MDI’s basic Orton-Gillingham Teacher Training class. The curriculum of this class is based upon the national standards established by the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators.
  • Began in 2002, and developed at all MDI centers, a preventative instructional program, Pathways for Potential. This program is designed to serve the needs of children already struggling with reading in kindergarten or for those with a family history of language difficulties. To date the program has served 584 students. The scholarship fund has provided $9,525 for needy children. A new initiative, Homework Helpers, has begun at the St. Clair center.
  • Began an ambitious Three-Year Business/Strategic Plan approved by MDI’s Board in 2009. The Plan consists of five major goals to be accomplished by 2012: To have a financially stable and self-sustainable organization, develop a strong and sustainable public awareness program, identify and treat more children and adults with dyslexia, strengthen the infrastructure of MDI, and secure a different central office facility.
  • Received three separate donations in the 2009-2010 fiscal year from an anonymous donor totaling $500,000. They provided financial support to the Flint Rotary Center and enabled the Institute to pay off its Central Office mortgage and pay off a land contract on its Berkley Center.
  • Received the final payment of a $30,000 donation from Auto Owners Insurance Company in Lansing, Michigan that was spread over three years.
  • Received from the John J. MacGregor Trust a $20,000 donation. For over 23 years, John MacGregor of Harbor Springs served on both MDI’s statewide and local boards and had a sincere regard and understanding of the great potential each dyslexia learner possessed, if given the proper educational instruction and support.
  • Held its Bi-Annual Recognition and Awards Luncheon on May 21, 2010. MDI honored three directors who retired from the Board and presented twelve Special Appreciation and Recognition Awards to those individuals, corporations and foundations that have made substantial contributions to the Institute.
  • Fourteen MDI representatives attended the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators Conference that was held in Toronto on April 23 and 24, 2010.
  • Received from Auto Owners Insurance Company a donation of six computers, which enabled MDI to bring the employees of all its’ regional centers and main office up to date with modern and reliable computers.
  • Received $148,651 in in-kind contributions.