Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Peterson.
Hi Laurie , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As far back as high school, I remember being deeply curious about how kids learn differently. At the time, I didn’t realize I had ADHD myself, but I think that curiosity came from a personal place. I initially thought I wanted to be a child psychologist, but during my senior year I had the opportunity to rotate through special education classrooms in my district. That experience solidified my passion for special education.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas, I began teaching, and while I loved working directly with students, I found myself asking deeper questions: Why do some students struggle so much more than others? That led me to pursue a master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in assessment at Texas Woman’s University, which launched my career as an Educational Diagnostician.
I spent several years evaluating students in the public-school system, but I grew increasingly aware of how often students were misunderstood or underserved—especially when the focus was more on school resources than student needs. With my family’s support, I started a private practice in Plano. It wasn’t easy at first—networking, building trust, and learning how to charge for services as a lifelong educator—but I knew there was a need.
In 2013, I met my husband, Tim. He had recently left the golf profession and had been managing his own ADHD diagnosis. He was immediately drawn to the work I was doing, and together we realized we could grow our impact. We opened our second office in Houston/The Woodlands in 2014, and from there expanded to Austin, Fort Worth, and beyond. By 2019, we were exploring how to offer online evaluations. Then COVID hit, and suddenly that vision became a reality faster than we expected.
Today, we serve clients in person at our five Texas offices and virtually across the country—and even internationally. It’s still hard to fully grasp the impact we’ve made, but it’s incredibly rewarding to know that we’re giving students and adults the answers and support they’ve long been searching for
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall, it has been a fairly smooth road, but there have definitely been challenges along the way—mostly in areas I wasn’t trained for. I’m an educator at heart, with a background in special education and assessment—not business. So, learning how to run and grow a company was a steep learning curve for me. Thankfully, that’s where my husband, Tim, has been a huge asset. He brings a completely different skill set and handles the operational and business side of things, which allows me to focus on what I do best: working with students and families.
Another challenge we’ve faced over the years has been staffing—specifically, finding evaluators who not only have the right credentials, but also the ability to think outside the traditional school-based model. Our work requires a more holistic, individualized lens, and helping professionals shift their mindset can take time and intentional training.
And, of course, running a business as a couple who both have ADHD has its humorous and chaotic moments! But we’ve learned to lean into our strengths, support each other, and stay focused on the mission. The road hasn’t always been easy, but the passion we have for what we do has always kept us moving forward.
As you know, we’re big fans of Diagnostic Learning Services/eDiagnostic Learning. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Diagnostic Learning Services, we specialize in comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations that go far beyond just identifying a diagnosis. Our mission is to help individuals—whether they’re students or adults—truly understand how they learn, why they struggle, and what they can do next.
What sets us apart is our commitment to the full picture. A diagnosis is just one piece of the puzzle. We take time to ensure our clients understand their strengths and challenges, and most importantly, leave with a clear, personalized roadmap. That might include academic support, school accommodations, testing modifications, or workplace strategies—and we help walk them through every step, whether that’s working with a K-12 school, a university, a licensing board, or an employer.
I’m incredibly proud of how we deliver these services—with compassion, urgency, and accessibility. We work hard to keep our fees as reasonable as possible and to offer timely access to services. Most of our clients are scheduled within two weeks, and they receive their results within another two weeks. That quick turnaround is almost unheard of in our field, but we believe that when someone is finally ready to take this step, they shouldn’t have to wait months for answers.
Above all, we’re known for the care and clarity we bring to this process. The feedback we hear most often is: ‘I finally feel understood.’ And that’s what our brand is all about—empowering individuals through insight, understanding, and real, practical support.
In addition, I am also the host of the podcast, Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, which is a platform dedicated to exploring and understanding the world of learning disabilities and ADHD. My goal is to bridge the gap between clinical expertise and real-world experience. We break down complex topics, ditch the jargon, and have real, unfiltered conversations with experts and those who’ve lived it. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or someone working to understand your own brain, we want to empower our listeners with knowledge, strategies, and stories that inspire, because no one should have to figure it out alone.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck is such an interesting concept, especially in business. I think one of the biggest ‘lucky breaks’ we experienced was during COVID. While the pandemic brought a lot of uncertainty, for us, it gave us the push—and the permission—we needed to fully launch our online evaluation services. We had already been exploring virtual testing, but the shift to remote everything made it easier for families to embrace the idea. What felt like a temporary solution quickly became a permanent and incredibly impactful part of our practice.
That said, I believe that luck often meets you where preparation already exists. We had the infrastructure, the clinical protocols, and the passion—we just needed the right moment. So yes, COVID brought a stroke of good fortune in terms of timing, but it was our readiness to adapt that allowed us to seize the opportunity and grow in ways we hadn’t expected.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.diagnostic-learning.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diagnosticlearning/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@testunow
