Meet Preston - a patient who was seen in the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia & Learning Disorders. Learn more about his journey below.

Blog written by Preston's mother, Ashley, of Tyler, TX. 

Preston has always been an extremely outgoing and personable little boy. The day he was born, the nurses could not get over how alert and wide open his eyes were. He looked around at every person who entered the room. Since that day, he has never met a stranger. 
 
Preston began struggling with school when he was in the first grade. We were not exactly sure what was going on, but thankfully he had an amazing teacher, who also picked up on his struggles. She suggested that he start to work with the reading specialist at the school. Not long after, he started working with the reading specialist, she called me and suggested that we take him to Scottish Rite for Children for a learning evaluation at the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia & Learning Disorders. 
 
After his evaluation was complete, we learned Preston had dyslexia and ADHD. He continued to work with his reading specialist multiple times a week and he started taking medication for his ADHD at the beginning of second grade. 
 

Preston is doing great and will continue his dyslexia intervention with his reading specialist over the coming years. The Brook Hill School uses the Scottish Rite Take Flight program. He has been blessed with a charming personality and top-notch athletic skills, yet school is the one thing that has not come easy for him. It breaks my heart when I hear him say that he is, "not as smart as the other kids in the class." We always remind him of his many wonderful talents and that while he may have to work super hard at school, he can overcome his struggles through his hard work, determination and positive attitude. 

 
Our experience at Scottish Rite was far beyond our expectations. We had heard that it was a wonderful place, but we got to see it firsthand. I remember the day we received Preston’s test results - I just felt teary the entire time. It was then that I really realized that this was going to be his struggle, but I also know that we would get through it together.

The team at Scottish Rite made us feel like Preston will still be successful in life, even through his struggles with dyslexia and ADHD. 

 
This past spring, when COVID-19 abruptly ended school, I thought that it would be nearly impossible to get schoolwork done with him at home. In reality, working with him at home was such a wonderful experience. Through our education at Scottish Rite, we were able to really understand his struggles and see his strengths. As we prepare to bring his younger sister for an evaluation, I now realize more than ever that it takes a village, and we are so happy that we have the support of Scottish Rite, now and in the future.  

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