#MyDyslexiaStory: Katie Beardmore
Wednesday 15 October 2025
I chose to share my diagnosis with people because I found that telling other people was something of a relief and helped me process how my brain works.
I was diagnosed with dyslexia at 16-17 during lower sixth form. Ironically, I was attending a private school that specialised in dyslexia, but when my mother, Carol repeatedly told them she suspected I was dyslexic, they dismissed her concerns, saying "we know your daughter better than you, if she was dyslexic, we would know."
My mother became so frustrated that she arranged for me to be privately assessed, which confirmed me as being dyslexic. The reason I hadn't been identified earlier was because I had developed extremely good coping mechanisms. I was known as "the organised one" in the family, I loved stationery and at school I would pick subjects that worked for me.
My “lightbulb moment”
Once diagnosed, my school was very supportive, and it was helpful that I was able to get extra time during A-level exams. My maths teacher was so patient and tried to describe the methods in different ways for me and used to wait for my "light bulb moment", because I needed to fully understand how concepts were connected before everything clicked into place.
Once I’d got the understanding for concepts, I would retake modules and do much better. For example, at A-Levels I achieved 95% in Core 1 and 89% in Core 2, compared to the 50s I got the first time round. The confidence from my diagnosis made me comfortable advocating to retake modules because I knew that’s what I needed.
Working with dyslexia
In my business career, I learned to ask colleagues to proofread important emails to senior executives. I have always found Microsoft Word helpful for my grammar and spelling. Although I must say there's nothing more disheartening than spelling a word so incorrectly that even spellcheck can't help you!
Tools like ChatGPT have been revolutionary over the last year since being self-employed. I know I am good at reviewing and editing but not getting things down onto paper/screen - so it’s great to give it an email and give the bullet points of what I want to reply with and it puts it all together for me to review!
Discovering unique skills and facing challenges
In terms of challenges, understanding jokes and sarcasm doesn't come naturally to me, I take things very literally. Jokes rely on words having two meanings, but my brain stops at the first meaning. My family used to joke about needing a "joke flag" to signal when they were being humorous.
In school, I struggled when it came to exams, being able to get information from my head onto paper was difficult. I also struggle with short-term memory, which means I need reminders and nudges to stay on track with commitments.
But dyslexia has also had a lot of positive impacts for me. It has given me the ability to look at problems from completely different perspectives, a skill I didn't realise was unique until later in life. It's also made me incredibly empathetic because all dyslexics have faced struggles, and supporting others through challenges builds resilience. This higher resilience level becomes a huge strength in both business and life.
My journey to success
My first major achievement was sticking to my guns and not going to university when everyone expected me to. I knew university wasn't right for me, I knew I needed tangible outcomes and practical application to commit to learning.
My career highlights include rising through the ranks at the family business Synectics, from a leader at 20 to Board Director at 26 for 8 years. Also, becoming the youngest and second female President of Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, and serving as Vice Chair of Port Vale Football Club.
Avoiding misinformation and understanding your strengths
Be conscious of whose views on dyslexia you listen to - they can be misleading and damaging. I once spoke at a careers day where a girl told me she'd been told she couldn't go into business because she was dyslexic and that kind of misinformation can have a devastating impact.
Go to reliable sources of information to understand your strengths. Being dyslexic doesn't create barriers, I believe it’s a catapult to greatness. Focus on finding and developing your unique strengths rather than dwelling on perceived limitations.
It's not all about words or numbers. It's about the characteristics and strengths that come with being dyslexic. If these characteristics were more celebrated and valued, if we had more of this type of thinking in the world, it would make such an incredible difference.