Just over seven years ago, Giuseppe struggled with his schoolwork and reading. His parents, both teachers at Madison College, knew that his reading skills weren’t where they should be for a 10-year-old. Knowing that they needed extra support, the Cina family started the long journey of finding answers to Guiseppe’s reading struggles. At the age of 10, Giuseppe received his official diagnosis. Dyslexia. When they got the diagnosis, the challenge of finding the right supports began.
Giuseppe’s parents are both teachers and very aware of resources in the community. One of their first calls was to the Madison Area Dyslexia Center. Giuseppe was added to the waiting list right away. However, Giuseppe’s parents decided not to tell their son about the waiting list. They didn’t want him waiting to start learning how to move forward with his newfound diagnosis of dyslexia. The diagnosis didn’t change how hard he would need to work to continue at his school. As Giuseppe reflected on not knowing this, he says he is grateful because he would have been anxiously waiting to get off the waitlist all those years.
After a long two-year wait, the Cina family got the call that a spot had opened at the Center, and Giuseppe was being paired with a tutor. He remembers being very nervous coming to the Center to meet with his tutor, Drew, who he now refers to as a close family friend. Giuseppe met with his tutor for the last two and a half years and says he is most thankful to have gained skills in analyzing the meaning of words and how to separate them out.
This spring, Giuseppe graduated from the Center’s program. He is heading into his senior year of high school and is excited for his future. He shared, “I am more confident and complete. I feel like I have the tools and am ready to go out into the world.”
His mom, Christine, was grateful they received a spot at the Center. “I can see how his tutoring has helped him. Since coming to the center, he is more apt to read independently. He has just blossomed.”
Giuseppe plans to take classes at Madison College after finishing his senior year. He hopes to study archeology and get an Associate’s Degree. He also hopes to buy a car in the next few years. He has his eye on a black Crown Victoria that he can refurbish in his spare time.
Giuseppe’s family has noticed some of the same learning tendencies his younger sister has and is currently waiting for a dyslexia test. If her diagnosis comes back with Dyslexia, the Cina family will once again add a name to the waiting list at the Center.
Courtesy of the Madison Valley Scottish Rite Newsletter
