About the Dyslexia Tutoring Program

HISTORY
The Dyslexia Tutoring Program was founded in 1982 in Southeast Baltimore as MADAY (Maryland Associates for Dyslexic Adults and Youth). It was started when a group of concerned citizens who had noticed a pattern with repeat youthful offenders that was related to their difficulties with reading and processing language. The group enlisted the help of Roger Saunders, a psychologist of international renown in the field of dyslexia, who confirmed that the offenders were dyslexic. The pioneer program in Southeast Baltimore sought to demonstrate that with a small investment of time and energy, the chain of dyslexia could be broken. Using trained volunteers in the community, the program offered specialized tutoring - consisting of at least 60 hours on a one-on-one basis - to improve the skills, self esteem and behavior of dyslexic youth. The initial goals of the program were to steer these young adults away from criminal behavior and toward literacy and employability. From this pilot program, MADAY was incorporated and, in 1985, became an independent 501 ( c )(3) non-profit agency serving, without any charge, dyslexic children and adults of all ages in Maryland. In March 2000, the Board of Directors passed a resolution to change the name of the organization to the Dyslexia Tutoring Program to more accurately reflect our mission.

PROBLEM
There are about 500,000 illiterate persons in Maryland. Approximately 15-20% of these individuals have dyslexia, a language based learning disability which causes  difficulty in learning to read.

IMPORTANCE
Maryland’s schools often do not have help for dyslexic children.

SOLUTION
Dyslexia Tutoring Program screens potential students and trains volunteer tutors to teach dyslexics to read in a multi-sensory approach called the Orton-Gillingham method.

SERVICES
Dyslexia Tutoring Program provides screening, remedial tutoring, information,  and referral for educational and vocational help. There are support groups, assistance with the schools, and partnerships with educational and healthcare institutions.

SUCCESSES
More than 700 people are helped each year, with more than 200 tutors working with students from 7 years old to seniors. Several Dyslexia Tutoring Program students have gone on to college.

LOCATION
The office, screening and tutoring rooms are in The Rotunda on W. 40th Street in Baltimore City. Additional tutoring sites are in surrounding areas.

FUNDING
The Dyslexia Tutoring Program is supported by contributions from foundations, corporations, businesses and individual donors. Contributions are tax deductible.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
President Howard Rosen	Vice President Keith Collison	Treasurer Jason Marlow	Secretary Carolyn T. Donohue
DIRECTORS
David Berg Elayne Berg Len Callahan Marc Cohen Renard Damon Rosetta DeVito	Robert W. Hobson, M.S. Grant L. Jacks, III David E. Kelly Sabina H. Kelly Eric Lewis Ronald Lipscomb	John P. Miller Mickey Misera Jim Morgan Guy Phelan Jennifer A. Pratt Aryeh E. Stein	Hon. Patrick Stringer Randy Walker Hillary Wohl, Ph.D.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Marcy K. Kolodny