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Misunderstood:
Dyslexia Awareness

Misunderstood: Dyslexia Awareness, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) mentoring and tutoring program that was created by Meri Kayte Flynn in 2018. As someone who has personal experience with dyslexia, it is Meri Kayte's desire to stand in the gap and to be an advocate for others who have learning differences. She chose the name “Misunderstood” because there are many misunderstandings and misconceptions surrounding dyslexia. There is also a lack of mentoring and tutoring programs in her area that are geared toward students who are dyslexic. Meri Kayte has been working diligently for the last four years and is only getting started!

When Meri Kayte was 8 years old, she was diagnosed with dyslexia. Because of the amazing support system she had, she realized that it was only a disability if she allowed it to be. Through a lot of hard work and determination, Meri Kayte became aware of her learning strengths and needs. She quickly tested out of her school's reading program and has been academically successful ever since.

Inspired by the love and support she received, Meri Kayte

started Misunderstood so she could be that love and support for others.

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Misunderstood: Dyslexia Awareness
Mentoring and Tutoring

Goal: to help others gain academic confidence through tutoring and to develop meaningful relationships through mentorship.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

Tutoring and mentoring are implemented through Misunderstood Reading Buddies
Partnerships include members of the Future Teachers of Alabama Clubs in Winston County as well as volunteers from all over the state of Alabama!
Sessions are centered around the needs of each mentee.
Email merikayteflynn@gmail.com to request a Reading Buddies application!
Social Media:
- Instagram: @misunderstoodofficial
- Facebook: Meri Kayte Flynn

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Disclaimer: The information on this website is intended for general informational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of a health care professional. IDA and CERI do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Types of Dyslexia:

Phonological dyslexia
- This is also called dysphonetic or auditory dyslexia.
- People with this type of dyslexia have difficulty processing the sounds of the individual letters and syllables and cannot match them with the written forms.
Surface dyslexia
- This is also called dyseidetic or visual dyslexia.
- This type of dyslexia is marked by difficulty recognizing whole words, which probably results from vision issues or visual processing difficulties in the brain.
- With trouble recognizing the words, these people may have a hard time learning and memorizing words.
Rapid naming deficit
- The person finds it difficult to name a letter, number, color, or object quickly and automatically. The processing speed is low and takes time to name them.
Double deficit dyslexia
- The person with double deficit dyslexia shows deficits in both the phonological process and naming speed. The majority of the weakest readers fall under this category.

Dyslexia is caused by an overburden of impairments in reading abilities that the person cannot adjust with effectively.

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Proud Scholarship provider!

Misunderstood: Dyslexia Awareness has worked Diligently to provide The following Reading Buddies Scholarships:

2023: Bailey Kelly, Winston County High School

2024: Josie Riddle, Addison High School

2025: Alyssa Westbrooks, Winston County High School

Partnerships and Resources

Misunderstood: Dyslexia Awareness partners with The Future Teachers Clubs of Winston County, Bright Academy in Mobile, Alabama and Bonner Leadership Program at Athens State University. The purpose of these partnerships is to provide scholarship opportunities as well relationship support through mentorship.

Misunderstood: Dyslexia Awareness has also raised funds to donate to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) as well as to the Scottish Rite Foundation. Both organizations provide resources to ensure on-going success, and they are close to Meri Kayte's heart as she was provided academic testing through the Scottish Rite Foundation, and she has been a member of the International Dyslexia Association for the last five years.