Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
2222 Welborn Street
Dallas, Texas  75219–3993
The Scottish Rite Dyslexia Training Program has amazing results for a young man in Brownsville, Texas.

Photo: Anthony Ramirez, age 11
At the tender age of 11, Anthony Ramirez has already learned what it means to struggle. As late as the fourth grade, Anthony had trouble making sense of the written word. Reading was not only difficult for him, it was almost traumatic. He had been put in a special education class to help him overcome his trouble, but the class was designed for children of low intellectual ability—which Anthony was not.

Anthony had been diagnosed as dyslexic at the end of the second grade, but his family and teachers had difficulty locating the proper resources to help him in their hometown of Brownsville, Texas. It took a couple of years of searching for help before Anthony and his family found the answer to their prayers. That answer came in the form of the Scottish Rite Dyslexia Training Program.

Anthony's mom, Pam Ramirez, found out about the program from one of the co-founders of a program called Brownsville Reads. After three years of working with the Scottish Rite program, Anthony is now not only able to read, but he also actually enjoys doing it. He takes great pleasure in doing the very thing that used to cause him anxiety and shame. As a result, his self-confidence has blossomed, and his attitude toward school has literally undergone a transformation.

According to Pam, "Anthony has been having as good a year this year as last. He continues to make nearly straight A's in his gifted and talented classes, was the starting right tackle for the seventh grade football team, has been chosen for the American Choral Director's Association National Boy Honor Choir, and was chosen by our local TV station as one of its recent ‘Kids You Should Know.’"

Anthony certainly makes no secret of his appreciation for the Scottish Rite program. Just last year, he entered a writing contest that required him to write a letter to an author. He chose to write to the authors of his Scottish Rite dyslexia workbook and ended up winning the contest. His letter read, in part, "Thank you for developing the Dyslexia Training Program Student's Book, as well as the Scottish Rite process. It changed my life in more ways than you can imagine.

"By the end of the book, I could spell words without mixing them up and finally be able to read. This year I was able to read my first book because of your Dyslexia Training Program. Now I am able to pick up a book, open it, and read on my own. It makes me feel very proud of myself."

As a result of his experience, Anthony has learned how to set goals and work to achieve them. Now he sets big ones for himself. He plans on becoming a doctor or lawyer when he grows up. Anthony and his mom are so grateful to the Scottish Rite training program that they both make it a personal mission to help spread the word about it to others. "I always tell everyone how proud I am of my son, but I am proudest of his learning to read," Pam says. "If it were not for the Scottish Rite program, that would not have happened. The program literally saved my son's life. It is important that we let every dyslexic child in the world know that they are not alone!"

And Anthony has his own message to share. "When I was in class before, I'd always stutter. I don't do that as much any more. You can do anything. It's been very hard. It's been a real big struggle. But I will get over it," he says. "At school now it is easy for me to read out loud because I am not embarrassed. I am very proud of myself because I can read on my own. I have more self-confidence all the time."