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Dyslexia Can Impact Anyone—Even a Princess

By Cheryl Dover

Princess Beatrice openly calls her dyslexia a superpower, though she didn’t always feel that way. Diagnosed at a young age, she remembers the frustration of not fitting in and dreading being called on to read in class. At age 10, or so, during one assignment, she stared at her teacher’s face instead of the paper. “The words are on the page, not on my face,” her teacher said. Beatrice thought,“Well, they aren’t on the paper either.”

Her turning point came from a strong network of supportive people. Her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, encouraged her by saying,“You can learn differently—and that’s okay.” Her teachers also played a critical role, helping her develop the confidence and tools to succeed. Beatrice credits them with shaping the person she is today.

Now, she is a fierce advocate for dyslexia awareness, using her platform to challenge stigmas and inspire others to embrace their differences. She believes dyslexia fuels creativity, problem-solving, and resilience. As a leader in the tech industry, she finds her unique way of thinking to be an asset—especially in fields like artificial intelligence, where innovation thrives on fresh perspectives.

Technology, like audiobooks and assistive tools, has made a huge difference in her life. Even now, she’d rather give a speech to a packed room than read from a whiteboard. But through her journey, she’s realized she’s far from alone. Many of her colleagues also have dyslexia, and they share the same strengths: collaboration, creative thinking, and seeing the world differently.

Her husband is dyslexic too, and she hopes her children will inherit this “gift” of thinking outside the box.

Her advice?
“There is nothing wrong with you. Don’t give up. Keep building your toolkit. Find the tools that work for you, focus on your strengths, and see where they can take you.”

Dyslexia impacts math in predictable ways, like memorizing the sequence of steps in a multi-step math problem, multiplication tables, telling time on a clock with hands, and directionality.

People with dyslexia are often gifted in math. Their three-dimensional visualization skills help them “see” math concepts more quickly and clearly than non-dyslexic people. Unfortunately, difficulties in directionality, rote memorization, reading, and sequencing can make the following math tasks so difficult that their math gifts are never discovered.

• Memorizing addition and subtraction facts.
• Memorizing multiplication tables.
• Remembering the sequence of steps in long division.
• Reading word problems.
• Copying an answer from one spot to a different spot.
• Starting a math problem on the wrong side.
• Showing their work: They often “see” math in their head, so showing their work is almost impossible.
• Doing math rapidly.
• They often excel at higher levels of math, such as algebra, geometry, and calculus—if they have a teacher who works around the math problems caused by their dyslexia.

By Susan Barton

Susan Barton loves hearing how Barton tutoring transforms students’ lives. One Certified Barton Tutor shared the following story, highlighting just how powerful that impact can be:

Dear Susan, I want to tell you about a truly extraordinary student I had the honor of tutoring—Gage Grommon. From the moment we began working together, it was clear that Gage was someone special. He brought a unique blend of curiosity, determination, commitment, humility, and charisma to the table. He showed up every single day, sacrificing elective classes to prioritize his Barton tutoring sessions.

Gage’s insight and self-awareness were remarkable for someone so young. He spoke openly and candidly about his struggles with dyslexia, and that honesty created a ripple effect of support and understanding among his peers and teachers. It empowered him to become his own best advocate during IEP meetings, guiding his educators on how to support him effectively.

Gage’s accomplishments extend beyond academics. He became a respected leader in his school—joining FFA, football, wrestling, student council, and SkillsUSA. He brought that same grit and humility to everything he did. His high school principal called him a “standout example of resilience and achievement,” and I couldn’t agree more. When graduation came, Gage was named one of the top eight graduates in a county of over 7,000 students. You can read about this amazing accomplishment in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Today, Gage has a thriving landscaping and construction business while earning certifications in welding, OSHA, and commercial driving. He continues to volunteer and mentor others. Incredibly, it is because of his advocacy that the Wyoming Department of Transportation has changed their policies. Wyoming now offers testing accommodations for people with dyslexia! Gage didn’t just overcome dyslexia—he transformed it into a strength.

With unwavering support, determination, and the Barton Reading & Spelling System, he has become a top graduate, role model, and successful entrepreneur.

Thank you for creating such an incredible program. Because of The Barton System, I’ve had the privilege of helping so many students—like Gage—flourish.

Kelly Paulsen
Certified Barton Tutor at the Masters Level
South Pasadena, CA

Barton Bulletin

Celebrate Your Barton Graduate!

We love celebrating students who complete all ten levels of the Barton Reading & Spelling System. It’s an extraordinary achievement—and Susan Barton would be honored to provide a signed Barton Graduate Certificate to recognize it.

To request a certificate, email the following info to Susan@BrightSolutions.US:

• Student’s full name (as it should appear on the certificate)
• Date of completion
• Complete mailing address

A signed certificate commemorating this important milestone will be mailed within two to three weeks.

Congratulations to your Barton Graduate!

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Susan Barton Dyslexia Stories