Hi, I'm Katie — founder of Dyslexia Thrives and mom to two of the most brilliant, creative, resilient young people I know. Both of my children are dyslexic. One profoundly, one with moderate to severe dyslexia. I homeschooled them both all the way through high school. Both are now in college.
That sentence sounds simple. The journey was anything but.
I remember the nights of lying awake wondering if I was doing enough. I remember being quoted $2,800 for a test and not knowing if it was even the right one. I remember a school system that couldn't — or wouldn't — give me straight answers. I remember my child telling herself she wasn't smart enough!
That moment changed everything for me.
I spent years learning everything I could — about dyslexia testing, about the school system, about remediation options, about the mindset required to raise a child who thrives despite a diagnosis. I discovered free testing options nobody talks about. I found affordable evaluations that unlocked more services than the expensive ones. I learned what teachers legally cannot say — and what that means for parents who know how to ask the right questions.
I built Dyslexia Thrives to give every family the roadmap I had to build from scratch.
I hold an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, a life coaching certification from the Life Coach Training Institute, and I serve as a lay counselor at my local church. But my most important qualification is nineteen years in the trenches — raising, advocating for, and watching two dyslexic children grow into capable, confident young adults.
If you're in the thick of it right now — scared, overwhelmed, not sure where to turn — I want you to know: there is hope. Your child can thrive. And you don't have to figure this out alone.