Hi, my name is Adam. I’m five years old and my mother is about to discover a secret I’ve been keeping from her…
I’m dyslexic.
So begins Adam’s Way: The Journey of a Child with Dyslexia and a Resource Guide for Parents by Mary Ann Coulson. In clear, heartfelt prose that only a devoted mother could craft, author Coulson recounts the difficulties Adam, despite his exceptional intelligence, experienced with learning in traditional settings. She describes, as well, the lengths to which she and her husband, David, went in trying to get Adam the education he needed and deserved. Despite the tutoring, testing, tears, conferences, confrontations, and, ultimately, court actions, Adam was about to begin ninth grade reading at a kindergarten level. Finally, they found relief, a school whose dyslexia remediation curriculum had him reading at grade level quickly, graduating on time and going on to college and a successful career. Only part memoir, Adam’s Way also provides guidance and resources for parents who may be in a similar situation.
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Podcasts & Interviews
The Dyslexia Duo Podcast
Ep. 77 December 2025
Mary Ann Coulson’s Journey Through Advocacy and Education
In this episode of ‘The Dyslexia Duo,’ hosts Melissa Dean and Aimee Rodenroth sit down with Mary Ann Coulson, a mother and author who devoted her life to helping her dyslexic son, Adam.
Mary Ann shares her family’s journey from initial struggles and misdiagnoses to finding effective education solutions, including the Orton-Gillingham approach and the GOW boarding school. She emphasizes the power of assistive technology and critical independent evaluations. Mary Ann’s book, ‘Adam’s Way,’ consolidates decades of resources and experiences aimed at helping parents and educators support dyslexic children.
This episode highlights the importance of understanding dyslexia as a learning difference rather than a disability, the emotional aspects of advocacy, and the ultimate success stories that inspire hope and action.
About
Mary Ann Coulson enjoyed a distinguished career in financial services that spanned thirty-five years. She also gave of her time and talents across the spectrum of civic and philanthropic organizations, often in leadership roles. A past member of the board of trustees at the internationally renowned school for students with dyslexia, The Gow School, she served as its chair for three years. She is also the mother of a son with dyslexia who fought for and succeeded in getting him the education he needed and deserved, and in the process became an advocate for children with dyslexia and their families. And now, she is the author of Adam’s Way: The Journey of a Child with Dyslexia and a Resource Guide for Parents.
Mary Ann was born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. She lived in Germany for three years and then
returned to the U.S., growing up in North Carolina while her father served as a Green Beret in the military. A graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics Education, Mary Ann began her career as a high school math teacher and track coach. She moved to Salisbury, Maryland, and in 1986 started her profession as a financial advisor and then moved into management positions. Mary Ann retired from her financial services career in 2021, having worked in various markets, including Maryland, New York City, New Jersey, and Buffalo, N.Y. Mary Ann made Orchard Park, N.Y., her home in 1995 until 2017.
Over the years, she played an active role in her community, supporting organizations with
missions focusing on the support of children, education, women and girls. She is a past trustee and chair of The Gow School and past board member of Buffalo Prep and The WNY Women’s Foundation. In recognition of her dedication to her community, Mary Ann has received numerous distinctions and professional accolades throughout her career. She was awarded the Buffalo Business First Women of Influence as a Corporate Executive, National Philanthropic Day Girl Scouts of WNY Distinguished Honoree, Buffalo Urban League Evans-Young Humanitarian Award, Athena Leadership Award for her ongoing commitment to helping women achieve professional excellence and gain important leadership skills, Morgan Stanley Community Leadership Award for the Eastern Division, WNY Girl Scouts Women of Distinction, GNFC Boy Scouts of America Scouter Citizen of the Year and Pathfinders Award for Exceptional Performance in Forging Partnerships that Benefit Students.
Mary Ann is a member of The International Dyslexia Association and The Learning Disabilities Association of America.
Since retirement, she has enjoyed golf, cooking, gardening, reading, and writing. Mary Ann lives in Niagara Falls, Canada, with her husband of twenty-nine years, David.
Adam Kendrick was born in Carroll, Iowa, and lived in five different states by the age of eleven. He graduated from The Gow School, having received many honors and awards including the Thomas Browning Award, presented to those students who have demonstrated determination, perseverance, grit, and all-around growth; the Gow Music and Reconstructive Language Awards; a National Science Merit Award; the Outstanding Sophomore Award; the Peter Gow, Jr. Award, the highest honor a student in the Upper School can receive. It is presented to that student who through character and achievement has contributed most to the success of the school year. Adam was inducted into the National Honor Society and earned the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America. He lettered in lacrosse, crew, swimming, and soccer and was captain of the soccer and swim teams.
After his graduation from The Gow School, he matriculated at the University of Cincinnati, where he received Bachelor of Science degrees in Architectural Engineering Technology and Construction Management from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. As a sophomore, he was president of his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha and a member of the honorary Phi Rho Chi.
After university, he joined an architecture firm from one of the internships he worked at during school and then joined The Kroger Company as a senior store designer for thirteen years. Currently Adam is a project engineer at Contegra, a local design and build firm in St. Louis, Missouri.
It is important for Adam to give back, and he currently serves as a trustee of The Gow School. Adam resides in St. Louis with his wife and daughters.
Rick Ohler is a freelance writer, editor, reporter, and author of the memoir, Have You Lived Here all Your Life?…”Not Yet,” about growing up in East Aurora, N.Y. He taught English at The Gow School in South Wales, N.Y. and has offered online and in-person classes in creative writing, memoir writing, and crafting family histories since 1984. For his continuing work as a columnist, sportswriter, feature writer, editor and book reviewer for the East Aurora Advertiser (the world’s best hometown newspaper) and Neighbor to Neighbor News, Inc., he has received numerous awards from the New York Press Association. One entire shelf in his expansive book collection contains books he has had a hand in, either as editor, contributor, proofreader, mentor, or inspiration. However, Adam’s Way, The Journey of a Child with Dyslexia and a Resource Guide for Parents is the project he is most proud of.
Rick lives in East Aurora with his sweetheart, the artist Kateri Ewing. Contact him at www.rickohler.com
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