Getting started with Dyslexia Blooms

Jane, Mom of tutoring student

Tommy ( tutoring student)

Denise is simply amazing. She has worked with our son Ollie for four years, and he absolutely adores her.

Her knowledge and teaching have transformed his reading skills and, just as importantly, his confidence. Watching him grow into a capable, successful reader has been incredible.

Denise cares so deeply about her students. She understands Ollie, motivates him, and makes him feel supported every step of the way.

She has also gone far beyond tutoring by helping our family advocate at school, communicate with teachers, and develop his 504 plan. Her partnership has meant everything to us.

We are so thankful for Denise. She is not just Ollie’s tutor - she is a shining, positive force in our son’s life all-around.

For as long as I can remember, I knew I was built a little differently than many of my friends and peers. I leaned into it in my own way—I celebrated my short attention span, my gift for procrastination, and my ability to memorize song lyrics after hearing them just a few times… even though I couldn’t recall a paragraph I had read minutes before.

I’ve always been creative. While not formally trained, I found success in photography, graphic design, storytelling, and event planning. School started out just fine, but when I hit 9th grade—Spanish 1 in particular—everything began to fall apart. I failed classes, ended up in summer school, and eventually gave up on the idea that school (or college) was for me. I didn’t have a clear vision for the future—I still struggle with that.

Fast forward to 2019. A conversation with a lifelong friend changed everything. She shared her daughter’s journey—years of struggle, working twice as hard as others just to keep up—until they finally had her screened for dyslexia. With answers came a plan, support, and ultimately success.

That conversation stuck with me.

I started to wonder… what if this was me, too?

Soon after, I began noticing similar patterns in my own child. Like many families, our kids are incredibly different despite the same home, same school, same opportunities. When my youngest entered kindergarten, I started to worry. Writing letters, spelling even simple sight words—it was hard. She got through kindergarten, but the challenges followed her into first, second, and third grade.

We kept hearing the same thing: “She’s capable, she’s just not trying.”
But that never sat right with me.

She was thriving in so many areas—except spelling. Letters like “b” and “d” were confusing. Simple words were still a struggle. Homework became a nightly battle, and it began to take a toll on our relationship. I felt discouraged, confused, and honestly… desperate for answers.

We were told to try summer school, but I couldn’t justify taking away her childhood summers for more of something that wasn’t working. I explored tutors, but many felt transactional—like they could do a job, but didn’t truly understand the full picture of a child who learns differently.

So I paused. I set it aside.

Until one day, I asked that same friend who had helped her daughter years before.

She gave me Denise’s number.

One phone call—just one hour—and everything changed.

For the first time, I felt heard. Truly heard.
Denise didn’t see a child who “wasn’t trying.” She understood the exhaustion, the confusion, and the heartbreak that comes when your child is thriving in many areas but quietly struggling in others—and slipping through the cracks because it’s not “big enough” of a problem.

From our first conversations to the screening and beyond, Denise made us feel seen, supported, and genuinely cared for. She has this incredible presence—she sparkles. You can feel how much she loves what she does in every interaction.

She is flexible, accommodating, and deeply understanding—not just with our daughter, but with our entire family.

And the impact?

While it can sometimes be a challenge to get our daughter started, within minutes of working with Denise, she’s engaged—and doesn’t want the session to end. Whether online or in person, the experience is consistently positive.

Most importantly, we’ve seen a shift in confidence.
Our daughter is beginning to understand the why behind language—the rules, the patterns—and that understanding is empowering her in ways we hadn’t seen before.

If you’ve ever had that quiet gut feeling that something is missing in your child’s academic journey—don’t ignore it.

Face the Sun and Find your Light.
Find Denise and the team at Dyslexia Blooms.

Thank you for tutoring me! You have changed my life with reading and spelling. You helped me gain confidence to read in front of people. I am getting better grades on my tests and learning more than before.

Zachary (8th grader)