9 Things Dyslexic Programmers Can Relate To

Sharing 9 Things you might relate to if you are a programmer/CS student with Dyslexia! Not comprehensive list and not everyone may experience these, share your experience below! (and pls i just want to make dyslexic beep bop friends)

[theresadillon]

You are my new favorite person! I just turned 51 and am changing careers learning to code. You have just explained my brain & seriously could be me talking etc. Thank you for being so open and honest. I feel better now!

[realmishaishikawa]

Hi Xinru! I'm a self-taught programmer, I've been working as a programmer for 5 years, I've always been the worst among my colleagues, but two years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD, and that's how I found out I wasn't stupid and I became happier!
I felt bad lately, I felt that I was not made for programming after all, but after I found your video I felt much better! And now I think I'm dyslexic too hahaha! Thank you!

[thetruthguy]

THESE VIDEOS ARE SO GREAT WE NEED MORE VIDEOS FROM YOU

[Radonlol]

I love your videos, I'm a 14 years old, have been programming for about 2 years but never took it seriously untill a week ago, my adhd got me to try game dev web dev ai data analysis systems and each for 2 months at least XD, After I put my dirty fingers on everything I can put it on, I am kinda sad that there's nothing more exciting to try but happy at the same time cuz I can finally stick to something without regret now

[rament]

Hey!! I just found your channel and I love your personality and your videos! Hope you come back soon!

[Crown]

I am dyslexic and I'm a programmer and I have a computer and cell phone repair business on the side.

It's not easy but it's definitely possible. Steve jobs was also dyslexic and look at how much success he has accumulated.

[shmloney]

I am a dyslexic programmer for almost 5 years, There are issues i am facing sometimes with jumbled words etc, but autocomplete fixes that and also actually being dyslexic sometimes helps because i abstract away so much in my thought normally, that abstractions are super easy because of that

[bloodishrose]

Hi! Im slightly dyslexic and i have picked digital media/ science computing for S3/year9 i do struggle a lot when it comes to coding because it takes me time to process, and words don’t really seem like words when i type them and I always make so many errors and its because i either misread what i was actually supposed to type it always puts me down that im behind and the only one that struggles the most but now seeing coders that also have dyslexia kinda made me feel better that im not the only one thats struggling:)

[ZettaiKatsu]

Hello. Thanks you for speaking out.
I have dyspraxia and CP. I managed to graduate in CS in 2018 but I failed my programmer jobs 3 times because of my slowness and poor organizing skills. It's difficult to keep up with professional expectations. Nowadays many colleagues like to stay at home and this makes me feel even more helpless/lonely. I hope next project will be easier to assimilate

[marcusrobinson]

Number 3 is so true for me. I just got my first software engineering job and sometimes, for the life of me I struggle to understand how every piece of technology works with each other.

[claudettebentley]

Hello! I was diagnosed with dyslexia in childhood. I am also a programmer. I can relate to some of ur problems. I thought it was just my “aesthetic” to like pretty colors and fonts and arrows but maybe its how I cope with the dyslexia. I also have the worst memory. I would find code in the code base and not realized I was the one who wrote it. Where I worked we would write an author name on new sections of code and that is how I realized that great code I am looking at was written by me. 😢 I had no memory of writing it. I can understand complex ideas but then I won’t remember a thing later. I have tried so many techniques to help with all my issues but I still have not found a good long term solution yet. I have not been diagnosed but looking at my life experience I think I also have inattentive adhd. I don’t feel great about how my life has been but at least I know there is a reason and not just that I am “dumb “, “loser” or what ever negative things my brain wants to tell me.

[jkevinparker]

I didn’t know my reading issues were due to dyslexia until literally 2 weeks ago. I’m 45. 😅 Was diagnosed with ADHD in college (also likely autistic). I was top of my HS class but couldn’t make myself read… and I just tonight figured out that this is the same with code!

I took HS computer science back in the early 90s and we were supposed to learn Pascal. I totally got all the concepts, but I just couldn’t read through all the code!

I taught myself programming (mostly DB-driven web apps) after college and I work as a senior IT consultant. I still develop software for side projects—and now I’m starting to understand why my code formatting has to be perfect and color-coded and use semantic names. I hate all the coding shorthand because it’s so hard for me to read.

[bogif]

Pro tipp: in visual code you can have the comment section what did you writed wrong or etc..

[LuisRoel-wq]

How did you pass a coding interview? Can you tell us about the accommodations you asked for? Your experience?

I personally have never ticked the disability box in a job application for fear of discrimination.

[bogif]

I have diagnoses for ADHD and all of the learning stuff ex dislexia. I learn programming in university and it is really hard sometimes. I am at first class and ah it goes really bad. Usually i do not understand anything what they teach so it is really hard for me. I had no experience with coding so yeah, it need a lot of patience

[awsumcreations]

0:24 dude I'm disappointed as someone who is ACTUALLY diagnosed with dyslexia it hurt me that you made a YouTube channel on something you may or may not have. That's uncool, I'm a dyslexic going into the tech industry (though I rather be in animation I sadly don't have the art skills for it, I can draw but not at the level I need to be for animation) ANYWAYS I looked up to you to see how you do with programming. Also are you still in college? If not how did you graduate you keep saying you struggle but yet you made it threw, maybe make a video how you did it.

[its_space_ranger]

I am dyslexic and i dont type that well at the moment but working on it but i want to get into computer programming should i?

[meetbhanushali]

I m a dyslexics programmer I am also finding one as I might have adhd cus I get distracted easly

[minihypez]

I'm severely dyslexic, I'm not sure I'd say the things you were listing were dyslexic struggles. Coloured text helps reading text however their isnt a specific text+colour, a lot of the things your saying sound more quirky than neurological, I'm aware that ADHD can play a part in cognitive attention which makes arrows and stuff like that more representative of the task ahead. It might still be worth getting a diagnosis however I wouldn't say that the stuff you listed is relatable as a dyslexic person other than the coloured text and occasional brain farts (you also speak very fast, I unfortunately cannot Eminem talk lol, so yes it might be worth the diagnosis however I don't think your symptoms sound either severe or very relatable)

[cajuncajun]

Hi Viola,

Thank you so very much for sharing your insight as a neurodivergent engineer in Tech.

I also have ADHD and undiagnosed dyslexia, and I am a visual thinker.
I want to move into software development and learn the basics. So I would like to know your thoughts. Given your experience with ADHD, how do you perceive software development? You know that often ADHD brains require a level of gratification and reward. Do you see yourself completing your goals with satisfaction? Are you able to find results in a short frame of time? Is software engineering rewarding and gratifying for you? What brought you to like it?

Just a note please, I don't assume we are the same but you are pretty exceptional🦸and I am far from prying. But as you mentioned before there aren't many people in this field who have are neuro divergent or willing to share.

Thanks again.