Guest post by Sue Hall, Licensed Davis Facilitator, TedX Speaker, Author, Film Writer and gifted dyslexic
I was beyond excited to receive an invitation to deliver my first Keynote talk at the Edmonton Family Literacy Conference on October 8, 2025.
Even better?
After lunch, they were screening our documentary WHO KNEW Dyslexia is a Way of Thinking.
I love presenting at conferences and professional development sessions because of the unknown—those attendees’ ‘aha’ moments, the nods and smiles when I voice what they already know to be true.
When I share the unique ability of picture thinkers to alter perception, which leads to talents in the 3D world, and then explain how it works against us in the 2D world of print… when I explain that picture thinkers are image-based thinkers rather than sound thinkers and phonics just isn’t the way we learn to read… and when I share that picture thinkers need pictures to think with, and no image means no thinking—the overwhelming reaction is always the same: “I had no idea people thought like that.” Hence the title of the film.
The conference theme was to shift perception and disrupt. I opened by saying, “I promise to disrupt!” That part was easy.
After my talk and the film screening, there were plenty of questions and a great deal of emotion. I passed a notebook around, asking attendees to write their email if they wanted more details. The next morning I looked at the notebook… oh my… so many entries. It was affirming and heartwarming.
Here’s what happened next: A considerable number of attendees from Aboriginal and Metis communities wanted to book another talk, a professional development session, a film screening. I had shared that challenges can be significantly reduced with Davis Learning Strategies for K-3 teachers and The Whole Dyslexic Society’s pilot DLS for Early Years. The very next day, I heard from a province-wide association working with 3-5 year olds and a school district wanting to change their remediation methods.
I write this on Canadian Thanksgiving Day, and I could not be more grateful—for Ron Davis’s wisdom, for my calling as a Facilitator, for the invitations to enlighten educators of individuals from 3 to 80+. The message is clear: everyone is able to learn if they are taught in the way they were born to learn. They are definitely not learning disabled. And now way more educators know this and can share their ‘aha’ moments. Yay!
And there’s more exciting news: The WHO KNEW film director submitted the documentary to film festivals, and we just heard it’s been accepted to the Los Angeles Women in Film Festival (November 13-16, 2025)! She was beyond excited, too. Who knows what that will lead to? We just know it will be exciting and inspiring.
Want to experience your own ‘aha’ moment? Learn about Davis workshops and programs that can transform how you or your loved ones learn. Head to our solutions page.
Watch the documentary: Discover the full WHO KNEW story
Complete the form below