AI, Dyslexia and Me

Remus, Aric, Mc Wordy stylized image

Let’s get straight to the point: I have dyslexia (clue’s in the title 😂), along with a few other neurospicy traits. That’s why you’ll still spot the odd typo or wonky sentence in my posts. These “mistakes” have shaped nearly six decades of my life  giving me a unique seat in the slow lane, with an unusual view of the world.

Growing up in the 70s, I got slapped with labels: idiot, lazy, moron and those were the nice ones. I couldn’t keep up with the class, which frustrated teachers, parents, and pretty much everyone except me (I was too busy daydreaming). Back then, no one seemed to care why I struggled. I still remember being made to stand on a chair or table while the class laughed at my low test scores, as if public humiliation might magically reboot my brain.

It didn’t.

What it did do was scar my trust in authority and forge a deep suspicion of the education system and people in general. I wasn’t foaming at the mouth or rocking in the corner (though my mum’s DIY haircuts might’ve hinted otherwise). I looked normal, which meant when I got things wrong, people assumed I was just lazy or not trying.

In my little world, it felt like hell. But in hindsight, those experiences built a certain resilience  not the academic kind, but a creative one. Not fitting in became my superpower. By the time I hit my late teens, I leaned into it: black clothes, spiked hair, and chains wrapped round my wrist. My unique look wasn’t just a style it was survival, it said to the world stay away, or things could get ugly, it worked and I was happy. 

Finally I found my own way to connect with words through the wonder of comics, Titles like Spider-Man, Hulk, Thor, Star Wars, and my personal favourite 2000 AD with Judge Dredd. Short text, punchy images, and action-packed panels that’s how I finally “got it.” The words began to make sense because the pictures made them easier to decode. Why it worked I have no clue it just did, it’s worth  noting that the whole time I was at school dyslexia was never mentioned, I was never tested for anything, eventually I was shoved into a few remedial classes in secondary school, however by then it was to little to late

So comics opened up a whole world of sci-fi, fantasy, and eventually, Art. School tried to press us all into neat little boxes, but my dyslexia had other plans. Over time, I explored photography, web design, and selling my own artwork. Each step of that journey proved a simple truth: my struggles weren’t flaws they were fuel for something more creative, more me.

Now for a quick digression…

Even today, I can’t remember phone numbers or postcodes. I’ve had doctors suggest bipolar disorder, prescribe things that dulled my creativity, and misdiagnose me more times than I care to count. The UK mental health system especially up here in Cumbria is overstretched, underfunded, and often unhelpful. I’ve given up trying to chase proper support. Self-help groups exist, but anything that involves groups of people? Yeah, hard pass.

Enter AI (cue angelic choir)

Before AI, writing was torture. I’d obsess over every sentence, checking and rechecking until my eyes blurred. And even then, my wife would spot a mistake I’d missed cue shame, delete, repeat. AI changed that.

Some call it cheating. I call it liberating. AI isn’t doing the work for me it’s helping me express the ideas I already have. It’s my creative co-pilot, untangling the knots in my writing, helping my brain’s non-linear chaos take readable shape.

Sure, the ever-vigilant Grammar Police will still have things to say. But they never stop to ask why someone might write the way they do. For me, AI has been a game changer boosting my productivity, confidence, and willingness to actually finish things.

Before ChatGPT and Gemini, I relied on clunky dictation software that couldn’t make sense of my accent. (Text-to-speech, though, was a lifesaver and still plays a role today.) But this new breed of AI tools? They don’t just fix grammar and spelling they help me get the tone right. They help me stay true to my voice.

Ironically, I’ve always loved words. Even if I can’t always spell them, I delight in finding new ones and teasing my wife with obscure vocabulary. It’s a tiny rebellion against a system that once told me I wasn’t smart enough.

Now, with AI as my ally, I can write quickly, confidently, and creatively. It doesn’t erase my dyslexia it works with it, freeing me to focus on ideas instead of corrections.

Dyslexia, like all disabilities, shapes who we are. For me, it’s been both a burden and a gift a detour that led me to discover my own way of seeing and saying things. If you have dyslexia, wear it proudly. Every error, every awkward sentence, is part of your story a reminder of your resilience and your voice.

Or, as a wise Starfleet doctor might say:

“They may be words, Jim… but not as we know them.”