Say Dyslexia

Say Dyslexia. Treat Dyslexia. Build Systems That Help Every Child Soar 

In GoPro videos left behind, Ryan Riddlebarger flies down snowy slopes with a snowboard strapped to his feet and snorkels through schools of fish beneath the ocean’s surface, surrounded by color and motion. He was 23 when he died, but in those clips, he is fully alive: energetic, thoughtful, joyful, brave, and inquisitive. That sense of flight, the thrill of motion, the freedom of exploration, was everything to Ryan.

In school, however, Ryan was grounded by something heavier: he struggled with reading and write. In first grade, he was enrolled in Reading Recovery, a program rooted in a now-banned strategy known as three-cueing, which teaches children to guess words using meaning, structure, and visual cues rather than phonetically sounding out words. (Ohio legislation now prohibits three-cueing in K–5 classrooms unless it’s specifically included in a student’s IEP.) Ryan kept trying, but he could not read. 

His school then used Fountas and Pinnell’s Leveled Literacy Intervention, another three-cueing-based program. He was given a bouncy seat to manage his need for movement. When his parents raised the word “dyslexia,” they were told, “We don’t use that word here.” 

His literacy challenges affected every subject. Ryan was bright and eager to learn, but literacy is the gateway to knowledge and had become a daily barrier. His stress and anxiety mounted. 

Students across the school, even his peers in special education, called him “retard.” In a culture that punished difference and shamed struggle, Ryan’s confidence was slowly dismantled, all while he was denied access to the kind of reading instruction he needed to succeed. 

As his family searched for answers, one person stepped in to offer what the system would not. His parents negotiated with the school to allow Dr. Charlotte Andrist, a trained Orton-Gillingham tutor, to work with him onsite five days a week, teaching him structured literacy. She also sat beside his teachers, modeling evidence-based strategies. She attended IEP meetings, advocating for better tools, more accurate assessments, and appropriate instruction. 

She gave Ryan what he had never been given before: a real chance. 

Still, it wasn’t enough to close the wide literacy gap that had developed. His parents, Deb and Brian Riddlebarger, sold their home and moved to a foreclosed condo to afford tuition at Marburn Academy, a private school for students with learning differences. There, finally, Ryan began to thrive. He found confidence in his engineering classes. He built friendships. He gained leadership roles. He laughed more. 

At Marburn, Ryan was flying again.

Ryan graduated in 2018 and enrolled at Hocking College, where he eventually earned his firefighter certification. He worked as a hospital tech and was beloved by coworkers and patients alike. He brought calm to chaos, offered compassion, and cared for others when they were most vulnerable. 

But trauma leaves a mark. Even after receiving structured literacy as an adolescent, the scars of early years without it remained. He carried guilt over what his family had sacrificed. 

Research shows that individuals with dyslexia who begin structured literacy late, especially in adolescence, typically require two to three times more instruction, and sometimes up to four times longer, to catch up to peers who received early intervention. That reality made the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Cognitive Exam, which he needed to pass, feel like an insurmountable hurdle. The test requires rapid reading of complex medical scenarios, precise recall, and rapid analysis of highly technical language, all of which are uniquely challenging for individuals with dyslexia, even after remediation. Gaps in vocabulary and fluency made technical reading a demanding and exhausting experience. Failing the exam not only blocked his career but reopened wounds he had worked so hard to heal. 

Ryan’s final year brought new layers of trauma. He lost a beloved family member, endured major jaw surgery that left him wired shut and eating through a syringe, and faced months of pain during recovery. These experiences reopened old wounds and left him emotionally depleted. He asked for help. After two unsuccessful attempts to find a therapist who was a good fit, he found a third and was waiting for the scheduling call — which came one day too late. 

On December 5, 2022, at the age of 23, Ryan tragically passed away.. 

Ryan was so much more than his struggle. He was adventurous. Kind. Hilarious. Loyal. He loved hiking, gaming, Metallica, snowboarding, and recording his explorations with a GoPro. He adored the outdoors. He lived for motion. And he lived with extraordinary intensity. 

For decades, public schools across the country embraced three-cueing-based programs like Reading Recovery and Leveled Literacy Intervention. Research has shown these don’t work. In fact, they harm. 

Since Ryan’s death, Ohio has enacted sweeping dyslexia reforms: universal screening beginning in kindergarten, required teacher training grounded in the science of reading, state-approved evidence-based curricula, and new certification standards for intervention specialists, all aimed at ensuring that future students receive the instruction Ryan never had. Many advocates and parent-led organizations have played a crucial role in this shift. There is hope. 

Ryan’s story is tragic because his needs went unmet for so long. When children with dyslexia are identified early and given access to effective, evidence-based instruction, their trajectories can be entirely different. They learn to read, they gain confidence, hope, and resilience, and they thrive. The reforms now underway offer real hope that future students will be seen sooner, taught better, and spared the pain Ryan endured.

Every child deserves the opportunity to read, access knowledge, think critically, create beautiful work, and feel a sense of belonging. Public school districts know how to do better, and they are. 

Ryan’s mother, Deb, hopes that the next Ryan who walks into a classroom will be met by teachers who are trained, supported, and empowered to help, and by schools that truly understand how to meet the needs of every striving reader. 

Her hope is shared by so many families, educators, and advocates. Now, every public school district must fully embrace the science of reading and commit to the systems, training, and leadership needed to ensure that every child becomes fully literate, because literacy opens doors, lifts burdens, and gives every student the chance to soar. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available, 24/7. 

For information on dyslexia and effective reading instruction, visit the International Dyslexia Association at www.dyslexiaida.org and The Reading League at www.thereadingleague.org. 

If you are an adult seeking support with reading and literacy, resources are also available through the International Dyslexia Association and through Literacy Volunteers of America at www.literacyvolunteers.org.