MN and dyslexia, laughing at a disability?

[MrsBlackbeard]

I'm wondering what to do about the problem of being a dyslexic on MN. Do I make a simpering apology at that the start of a thread and/or as I post a comment?

Its just this, if we were all in a room together, and English wasnt my first language and Im having difficulty pronouncing things because of it, or I had a speech disorder, would you:

A. Stand round laughing in to my face.
Or
B. Assume that I was unintelligent and not worthy of your attentions?

I know Im asking for trouble for writing all this and will take on the chin the usual basturdly (Dont worry my own word) wit that some times swills round in hear.

Iv named changed a couple of times since being hear and keep getting that same old shite over and over again.

Its taken me years to get up the bollox to actual write on any forum as it involves having to put my comments through Microsoft word before posting any thing bigger then a three letters. Spellchecker can fail in often spectacularly ways for me, and granted, in very humorous ways..

I couldnt spell my own name till I was 11 years old, and went to a shit pit of a school that advised me to fuck off at 16 due to my illiteracy. I remember when I was 12 having a English teacher read out a essay as I had written it to the class and going home to figure out which would be the easiest way to commit suicide due to the ensuing ridicule and shame. I grew up in an area where dyslexia was only recognized as a condition until relatively recently.

Iv lost jobs when they twigged I had it, and was rejected for jobs when I told them at interview.
How ever, I managed to graduate with a 2.1 and ended up working on international arts projects. I think Iv done all right given my breaks and I feel that Im not that unintelligent. Nice thing about art is you can develop your own language; I can escape the constraints of the written word.

So why do I feel I'm shouting up the stairwell and clambering up on crutches at the party above, as every so often someone looks down to laugh at me as I miss a step.

Im sure there are parents of dyslexic children on MN, that dont find anything funny in what they have to deal with trying to get there kids on in life.

As for text speak, yeh well it dose look common but language evolves. It is a form of communication that is unsanctioned, adapted by people who were failed by the education system, delivers a meaning quicker (And cheaper by the pound on your phone bill).
I dont personal have a problem with it; its just a different way of writting.

Come on then have a good laugh, point at the linguistic freak..

You have no idea how many times I had to go over this, and I bet its still choca with spelling mistakes.

Sorry rant over..

It is hard sometimes though to tell genuine dyslexia from people who just can't spell on MN. And come on, there are loads of people who are not dyslexic who just can't spell. MN is famed for its pedantry, and if no one can say 'you spelled that wrong' because they are afraid they are going to told they are mocking disability, well MN just gets blander and blander.

can't swear, can't correct spelling mistakes, can't have strong opinions, etc. Bring on the fluffy hearts.

I'm not dyslexic and I got 2 A's at GCSE in English/Eng Lit but my typing and spelling is awful because I just fon't bother.

Its an interent forum, not a test paper.

I don't think it's nice to point and laugh at spelling/grammar errors, but sometimes they do make it hard to understand the post.
of course, in an ideal world, we should ask what the word/meaning is supposed to be and state that it's because we don't understand it, not because you've written it wrong.
problem is, sometimes a typed post can look haughty when it's just a statement "i don't understand what you've tried to say". (putting "Huh?????" is rude.)

I have a very good friend who is severely dyslexic. he can about manage his own name and i think he's got most of the alphabet in order now, but he cannot manage most words. I have tried to help him to learn passages, but he won't recall the word almost as soon as he's moved onto the next word. As a result he left school with nothing. He was a skilled car mechanic (his hobby) but wasn't able to get a job because an apprenticeship required too much literacy. he works as a care assistant. unfortunately, he is now ill with MS so cannot work on cars anymore.
He enjoys books, though: he listens to books on CD quite a lot.

You spelled internet wrong.

I came back on expecting a long list of what was wrong with my post, or more piss taking.
Im a usually a hard faced old cow, but I welled up read everyone else posts.
Thank you very much every one who commented

Coralanne Im in my late 30s and only got my assessment just before I started my foundation course when I was 21. It was a bittersweet experience when I got the results. A sense of anger at the past and relief for a more promising future.

giraffesCannaeFlingPieces Reading out children?s story, oh my god yes, what a nightmare. Being asked to spell something for my daughter when she was little used to bring me out in a cold sweat.

littlestarschildminding my daughter was caught early at school and given proper one to one support through these guys www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/ fantastic people, email them today to see what?s in your area.

LoveBeingAMummy no your not, Iv read your other posts.

2rebecca Ditto at the textspeek, I like the idea of a created language that?s been striped down. But it to wriggles around though with the best of them.

Mollyroger my mothers dyslexic and Im glad its finally being addresses properly in my daughter. My mother has a flat head where she was beaten over the head with heavy books by nuns for her spelling mistakes.

borderslass The collage should be provided help or come to a agreement on alternative arrangements for submission of course work for your daughter, I was able to submit essays on tape form, but had to submit my dissertation in written form. I took the precaution of starting it in first year.

Niftyblue It utterly fecks me off to hear about things like this. Have you showed him a list of famous dyslexics like this www.dyslexia.com/famous.htm?

Carocaro Your quite right, I have a chip on my shoulder the size of the grand cannon. Iv tried to use the anger positively ?Ill show the basturds? kind of way and it did get me a certain amount of way. I just get disheartened some times when I write emails regarding projects/work and I v managed to make them look like they have been written in crayon.

fernie3 ditto with the numbers, very embarrassing when people ask for it.

Kinnies

8RJRabbit and AMumInScotland thank you for your understanding, if I could Id have a emonacon perhaps on the start of my posts so to cut down on ?Misunderstandings?.

Again thanks to everyone who posted hear so postivly.

Fuck you pofacedandproud, your grammar is shite. Hugs.

Yea, exactly my point

I think the 'I am such a grammar/spelling pedant and so proud of it hoho'crowd are less of an insidious force on MN than they used to be.

I've always found that aspect of MN deeply distastful, and view people who build thier own slef esteem on thier abiloty to learn a few rules, and trample on those who could't/disdn't learn the rules, with thier over eager enthusiasm to show the world that they have spotted a mistake, therfore they are mcuh clever than you, in a very poor light.

Fair enough of they are your english teacher or boss overseeing a presnetsion, or any context when rules are viewd as imporatnt skills to have.

But in every day, and most especially on MN, I ma much mote intesredtd in communication, and the excahneg of ideas and experineces, and think as long as you are able to ger ths acrsoss then evryones contribution is as valid as the stick up thier arses claver clogs.

Admittedly my posts proably come close to that boudary of actually being unredabale and therfore ineffecfive as communication; that is cos I am a lazy arse who refuses to proof rad on MN.

Mrs. Blackbeard, your communictaion howver is perfect.

Anyway I never ever point out spelling mistakes unless the poster is being a complete arse and being very derogatory about someone else [with the exception of JollyMrsChristmas who is obviously very nice]

Baroness you're just emulating cod.

ooh you are funny Nightshoe.

There are many reasons for spelling mistakes on MN
dyslexia
kids running around and not being able to concentrate
Being upset hence the post
being angry hence the post
Or the fact not being able to spell

BUT its not something to be pulled up on by others that sit in their glass houses

People in glass houses should`nt throw stones

one of my fave people on here has trouble with her eyes and so her typing can be a bit wrong at times, so I just re read the post.
yet I have seen people being very rude to her, normally when they realise they have lost the arguement.

Of course I'm nice, I'm Santas wife!

In refusal to proof read maybe. But i cannot mastre the cutting one liner put down, I always want to say more!

I give too muh time to MN already without checking my spelling ans typing. i reckon people get the gist though.

good idea MrsB : a smiley saying "there may be spelling errors in this post".
could go alongside ones for the bitchier members "bitchy comments may be made in this post"

btw: i can't spell out loud and i can't read out loud. that's not a disability, it's a lack of confidence in myself perpetuated by my 2nd year infant teacher who forced us to read out loud at her desk with a queue of kids behind. [shudder]
whenever i want to spell something to someone, i always write it down and then read it from the paper (or just give the person the paper). and if necessary, always keep a dictionary by you: there is a spelling dictionary by Barrington Stoke called the perfect spelling dictionary, where you find the word the way you think it is spelled and it tells you the correct spelling. (i guess it only works if you can guess well, though)

mrsblackbeard

are the online tests worth taking notice of

I dropped out of college and have struggled
with lots of things
feel it is too late to change anything now thoug

but heyho
maybe it is just me

I haven't read all the posts but just wanted to say that maybe you could preface your posts with the phrase- "I am dyslexic so please excuse my spelling".
I am the parent of a dyslexic and also work with dyslexics.

What I would say to anyone who thinks they might be undiagnosed, is contact the British Dyslexia Association, or Dyslexia Action,if you want to pursue an assessment, and find out if there is a support group for adults in your area if you think it might be appropriate for you.

MRSBLACkbeard (I Have a sticky caps/shift button!). IF you use GOOgleCHROme (download for free) It will underline, in red, all spelling mistakes. THere will always be a cackling witch ready to complian about spelling. Personally as long as there are enough full stops and paragraph breaks I think most people can understand. Text speak is not always easy to understand.

Oh, while I was spell checking more post came in, MissParellUniverse its never too late.As purplepeony gives excelent advice, links to www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/ and www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/online!?! na, get it done properly.

Great post Mrs Blackbeard and rang many bells with me as I have a dyslexic DH and DD.

Have you seen the Henry Winkler webchat on here? He's very inspiring on the subject.

OP you are fantastic ! You have achieved so much and should be so proud of yourself! I stopped posting recently after a particularly vile post taking the mick out of someone's spelling. The bitchy vile comments I received took me back to schooldays and it has taken me a while to feel like posting again. You are right people can be horrible. I am sure that the people who are so catty on here about spelling wouldn't dare do it to someone about any other disability. For what it's worth sod the lot of them and be proud of what you have achieved.

Fairly new on here, and have to say I was astounded by some peoples derogatory comments on others spellings etc the other day. Did make me wonder whether or not to stay, but realised most here are lovely people, just a few bad (and foulmouthed/tempered) apples in the cart.
DD1 (15) is dyslexic and has Mearles Irlen or Scotopic Sensitivity and need coloured glasses/overlays. She too has been told to take her sunglasses off by sub teachers who don't know her. She is such a bright spark but school has not been easy for her, she has to work 10 times harder than her peers to achieve the same thing, but luckily doesn't get mocked too often, and will always stand up for herself!
OP, I for one would never judge anyone by their spelling/grammar, and think it's awfully narrow minded and petty to do so. Maybe some people should go find a perfect spelling forum, they'd be much happier there.
Off now to feel awfully proud of my beautiful and philosophical daughter, who is fab and funny!

mollyroger are you me?DS2 has dyslexia and is just learning to write intelligibly at almost 9, I am discalculate but like yourself a wordsmith (you wouldn't know it from my typing but I have bad eyes so cannot proof read). DH is clearly dyslexic but won't get tested, he's at Uni so I put in long hours helping him whatUni should be doing IYSWIM. He's doing well though, joint top of class atm.

I can't manage textspeak though, becuase it seems to stop my eyes working entirely, which is why I don't like it.

For those with a dyslexic child- are you aware that BIBIC see dyslexic kids? (google them), they charge £50 and whilst they don't dx they do offer practical actual help (up to the age of 16 IIRC).

Dyslexia is a complex thing; if ds2 were my only child I would probably see very clearly how diferent he is to his peers and worry more.As it is I have two with ASD as well dso ds2 has had to adapt a bit but a lot of the things around organisation that we use do seem to help with dyslexia IME. I read with kids as well,and my experience is that kids with the disorder go from barely noticeable to benefitting from aspecialist palcement like my friends child who was bullied so badly. It's complex.