What Decoding Dyslexia does

Decoding Dyslexia Massachusetts (DDMA) is a non-profit, parent-founded advocacy organization that operates as the Massachusetts chapter of the national Decoding Dyslexia movement. The organization focuses on advancing awareness, early screening, and evidence-based reading instruction for students with dyslexia, primarily within the Massachusetts public education system. Its served constituencies include families of dyslexic learners, educators and school administrators, and Massachusetts state legislators. DDMA offers all resources, advocacy guides, and community programs free of charge, with no commercial product, no proprietary technology platform, and no pricing model in place.

The organization operates a community-led go-to-market motion. Outreach is delivered through a website (decodingdyslexiama.org), a YouTube channel, a Facebook presence, community events such as the Horn Pond Walk for Dyslexia, media interviews, and direct legislative outreach to Massachusetts state representatives. DDMA has engaged in legislative advocacy around dyslexia screening bills, partnered with research institutions including the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity and MIT's Gabrieli and Gaab Labs, and collaborated with peer organizations such as the International Dyslexia Association, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, and the Decoding Dyslexia National Network.

Funding for DDMA is sourced from donations and member support rather than commercial revenue. Leadership consists of two named figures: Nancy Duggan (Executive Director, also the sole staff member per source data) and Lisa Nelson (Co-Founder). The organization has contributed to advancing dyslexia screening legislation in Massachusetts, supported a national dyslexia resolution (H. Res. 456) that gathered over 102 co-sponsors, and organized awareness events including the lighting of the Zakim Bridge in Boston. There is no software product, no app, no API, and no AI component; the value proposition is purely advocacy, education, and community connection.

Name

Decoding Dyslexia

Legal name

Decoding Dyslexia MA

Website

https://decodingdyslexiama.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Decoding Dyslexia Massachusetts (DDMA) is a non-profit, parent-founded advocacy organization that promotes dyslexia awareness, early screening, and evidence-based reading instruction for Massachusetts families, educators, and state legislators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dracut

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Relies on donations and member support to fund advocacy activities and awareness campaigns

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Decoding Dyslexia Massachusetts (DDMA) is a nonprofit grassroots advocacy organization that promotes dyslexia awareness, early screening legislation, and evidence-based reading instruction. It connects families of dyslexic learners with educational resources, advocates for Massachusetts state-level dyslexia legislation, and facilitates community-building events such as awareness walks and library outreach programs.

Product overview

Decoding Dyslexia Massachusetts (DDMA) is an advocacy and education organization focused on dyslexia awareness, legislation, and support for families with dyslexic learners. The organization does not offer a commercial product or software platform but instead provides informational resources, advocacy for state and federal dyslexia legislation, educational guidance for parents and educators, and community outreach programs. Their activities include promoting early screening for dyslexia, advocating for evidence-based reading instruction, and connecting families with resources such as tutoring services, summer programs, and assistive technology tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Contributed to advancing dyslexia screening legislation in Massachusetts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Decoding Dyslexia National NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Part of a nationwide network of state-level Decoding Dyslexia organizations; co-founded by Lisa Nelson; shares resources and advocacy strategies across states.
• International Dyslexia Association (IDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey research and standards partner; DDMA references IDA's knowledge and practices, standards for effective reading instruction, and fact sheets on reading/language programs. IDA provides the scientific definition of dyslexia used by the organization.
• Yale Center for Dyslexia & CreativitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Sally Shaywitz, Co-Director of Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, serves as key expert witness and resource cited by DDMA for advocacy efforts.
• National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with NCLD and 10 other advocacy groups to release joint principles for evaluating students suspected of having Specific Learning Disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia).
• MIT Gabrieli Lab and Gaab LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston-area research laboratories studying dyslexia neuroscience; DDMA has collaborated with these labs, including hosting the Governor's Dyslexia Awareness Month proclamation at MIT.
• Learning Ally (formerly RFB&D)minorOthersListed as a resource partner on DDMA website for audio books and learning materials for dyslexic students.
• BookshareminorOthersListed as a resource partner providing accessible reading materials for individuals with dyslexia.
• Children's Dyslexia Centers, Inc.minorOthersPartner for tutoring services; DDMA has organized fundraising events (Teddy Bear Golf Classic) to benefit Children's Dyslexia Center - Boston North.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Dyslexia Association (IDA): National nonprofit that defines dyslexia standards and provides knowledge/resources DDMA explicitly cites. Both operate in dyslexia advocacy, education, and parent support, with IDA acting as the scientific backbone DDMA leverages in Massachusetts policy work.
• National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD): National advocacy organization that co-released joint SLD evaluation principles with DDMA and 10 other groups. Directly comparable as a learning-disabilities advocacy nonprofit targeting parents, educators, and federal/state policymakers.
• Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA): National advocacy organization for people with learning disabilities including dyslexia. Comparable mission around LD awareness, screening, and education policy, but broader scope and longer institutional history than DDMA.

Others

• Learning Ally: Resource partner listed on DDMA's site providing audiobooks and accessible reading materials for dyslexic learners. Operates as an enabling service in the same ecosystem, addressing the same end population through a different mechanism (assistive content vs. advocacy).
• Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity: Research center whose Co-Director Dr. Sally Shaywitz is cited as a key expert witness by DDMA. Functions as a scientific evidence provider feeding DDMA's advocacy, making it an upstream peer in the same dyslexia awareness value chain.
• Bookshare: Accessible reading materials provider listed as a DDMA resource partner. Ecosystem peer serving the same dyslexic learner population through assistive technology/content rather than advocacy.

Direct peers

• Federation for Children with Special Needs: Massachusetts-based parent training and advocacy organization referenced by DDMA for IEP/parent consultant training. Highly comparable as a state-level special-education advocacy nonprofit serving families navigating school systems.
• Massachusetts Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (MA IDA): State-level dyslexia association linked from DDMA's site. Directly overlaps in Massachusetts geography, dyslexia focus, and educator/parent audience; competes for the same volunteer and donor pool.
• Decoding Dyslexia National Network: Federation of state-level Decoding Dyslexia chapters co-founded by DDMA's Lisa Nelson. Direct structural parent and sister-chapter network; shares resources, advocacy strategies, and legislative playbook across states.

Emerging players

• Children's Dyslexia Centers, Inc. Tutoring and charitable partner with a Boston-North center that DDMA fundraises for via the Teddy Bear Golf Classic. Operates in the dyslexia tutoring/structured literacy space, intersecting with DDMA's resource referrals for families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DDyslexiaMA
• Facebookfacebook.com/DecodingDyslexiaMA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/decoding-dyselxia-massachsuetts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Decoding Dyslexia