Writing Can Be Hard
A recent conversation with author and writing coach Arnie Bernstein (@RealArnieB) convinced me I needed to write a piece on writing … with teens … with dyslexia. I’ve done a lot of that, and I’ve learned some things. Since many people with dyslexia also exhibit dysgraphia, writing can be a real show-stopper in middle school and high school.
Neurodiversity is the Opposite of Stupidity!
Unfortunately, most of the students I’ve worked with who were public school students and also dyslexic had a deeply-seated belief that they were stupid. It was obvious — after all, writing assignments that other students found easy, they found impossible. So my first task with a teen student usually involves explaining dyslexia and dysgraphia.
When students realize that certain kinds of tasks are frustrating because their brains are different, NOT LESS, they relax. I promise to teach them how to use their strengths to reach the same goals without driving themselves crazy. And I deliver. Knowing, deep down, that you are NOT STUPID is a powerful tool all by itself. If all our brains were the same this would be a very boring planet.
The Writing Must Make the Writer Proud
Since teens with dyslexia tend toward high intelligence, they know when their writing isn’t up to par. In fact, they usually have extremely high standards for what constitutes good writing. This makes them unwilling to produce, hand in, or be graded on work they aren’t proud of. Many students I’ve known would rather take an F than hand in work that doesn’t reflect their true ability.
Furthermore, teens with dyslexia usually have wonderful ideas just bursting to come out and land on the paper, but when those great ideas turn into word mush on the page it’s discouraging and painful. That’s where I take a side trip and talk about some of the many famous writers with dyslexia. Most importantly, I talk about how those writers do it, using recorders, secretaries, computers, and editors.
Writing is Collaborative
Students are told to do their own work. Plagiarism is a dirty word in academia. But the truth is that great writing involves multiple people, past and present. Our greatest writers not only stand on the shoulders of previous writers but actively collaborate with others to achieve their masterpieces.
Diana Pavlac Glyer shows this collaboration definitively in her wonderful book, Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings. So I teach my dyslexic teens to observe masterful writing and make it their own in new ways. I tell them to trade their skills for help from other people — maybe walk a dog or paint a room in exchange for editing. Great writers know the value of exchanging ideas with others and collaborating with great editors.
Secretaries, Computers, and Bullets
I strongly encourage my teen writers to make use of a secretary or speech-to-text technology, or both! Many of our greatest authors make audio recordings of their work then send it off to a typist. A teen may not have the financial means to do this, but they may have friends or family who are glad to help. Even if they don’t, computers may come to the rescue.
Speech-to-text technology, such a Google Speak, allows a student to speak to the computer while the computer types their words. It’s not perfect, and it requires practice to speak clearly enough to get a decent copy, but it’s free and it allows many of my students to get ideas down on paper so someone can then help edit. Making bullet notes on paper instead of attempting to write out sentences works well for many dyslexic writers. From these one-word or even doodle entries, a dyslexic writer may well be able to use speech-to-text or audio recording in a professional and effective way.
One of my teen students glowed like Christmas when she was able to write an entire play by speaking to the computer. She was so proud of it she could hardly wait to show it to her parents and teachers. She was happy because she knew it was GOOD! And she knew no one who read it was going to think she was stupid.
Use the Force of Truth, Friends, and Technology
When approaching writing with teens who deal with dyslexia or dysgraphia, it’s important to acknowledge how hard they work and how frustrated they feel. Banish the idea that having a DIFFERENT skill set means less capable of writing. Make sure teens know, as Arnie Bernstein says, “Creativity is your Super Power.” Then set about using the tools available — editors, typists, bullet journals, and speech-to-text technology.
By Yvonna Graham, M.Ed.
www.dyslexiakit.net
@GrahamYvonna
Audiobooks paired with written text expose dyslexic teens to books they love, while increasing reading vocabulary painlessly. Classics read by volunteers are available free at Librivox, and newer books read by professionals can be found at Audible for $15/mo. Also, check out the public library!