Max Parvin

In this episode of Synaptic Sarahs, the Sarahs welcome Max Parvin, a 17-year-old student athlete diagnosed at 16 with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD. Raised in a military family that moved constantly — with his father deployed and his younger brother going through cancer treatment — Max spent much of his childhood with his beloved Nana, who helped him teach himself to read and spell through pure muscle memory and repetition. It was enough to get by, until geometry and a year of German finally exposed the gap. His mom asked teacher after teacher if something was going on, and always heard the same thing: he's fine. Her instincts were right. After his diagnosis, Max threw himself into intensive summer remediation alongside a demanding football schedule, jumping from a seventh- to a tenth-grade reading level. His ACT score rose from a 19 to a 25 through the combination of dyslexia intervention and the testing accommodations that are — and always should be — available to kids with ADHD and learning differences. Now a four-star-ranked kicker fielding his first college offers, he's become a voice for dyslexia in Sarah's practice — the confident athlete who sits down with defeated younger boys and tells them the truth: there's nothing wrong with you, and being an athlete doesn't mean you're not smart. A conversation about grit, growth mindset, and the power of a mentor who can say "me too." Max's story is proof it's never too late — and that the right support changes everything.