How Dyslexia helped me become a programmer

Ever since I was young I knew there was an issue with my reading and spelling, but never knew what it was specifically. It wasn't until Year 8 (Junior year in America) that I got tested, and that's when they told me I had this annoying thing called Dyslexia.

At a very young age I knew that the career path I'd want to go into is technology based, I liked doing hardware but was more interested in writing code. But the dyslexia kicked in, I couldn't remember things easily, I couldn't spell correctly and worst of all I got a lot of things mixed up. After learning the basics of batch I moved onto to learning Java, this is where it began taking a toll on me badly. I found that learning the syntax was fine, I could remember it easily. However when it came to remembering definitions, different uses of data types, how to write clean code, standard library usages, it went in one ear and dived out the other.

Because at the time it was summer break for me I set myself goals, I wanted to become fluent enough that I could make basic pixel art games, nothing too crazy just to the point where it works and doesn't set my CPU on fire with my terrible code base. But I found that even after following tutorials and doing the same thing multiple times in an attempt to remember it that It still wouldn't stick. I had written this script at leat 12 times before

 public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) {
        int key = e.getKeyCode();
        for (int i = 0; i < handler.object.size(); i++) {
            GameObject tempObject = handler.object.get(i);
            if (tempObject.getId() == ID.Player) {
                if (key == KeyEvent.VK_W) {
                    tempObject.setVelY(-5);
                    keyDown[0] = true;
                }
                if (key == KeyEvent.VK_S) {
                    tempObject.setVelY(5);
                    keyDown[1] = true;
                }
                if (key == KeyEvent.VK_D) {
                    tempObject.setVelY(5);
                    keyDown[2] = true;
                }
                if (key == KeyEvent.VK_A) {
                    tempObject.setVelY(-5);
                    keyDown[3] = true;
                }

            }
        }
        if (key == KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE) System.exit(1);
    }
/***
* a basic event that listenes for a key event, when it is pressed it will
* move the player around to the coordinates depending on the press, also 
* assigns a boolean value for some reason that I can't remember.
***/

Not impressive but for me it was a learning curv. I used it from a tutorial in my own game, you'd think after writing it so much that the usage and concept of it would stick in my mind. Nope. Couldn't remember a thing. That's when I went back to the help department and asked the people at my school if this was usual. They said with my form of dyslexia that having issues remembering things is common, especially if they're complex.

This had a down pour on me, put me in many bad moods and almost made me give up. I had been working hard to remember and learn so much from programming but because of one condition I knew it could be a pain to make it stick. For two months I gave up, I watched my friends at the time succeed in their learning experiences, making whatever they pleased while I just sat there wishing that what was inside of my head would go away.

It wasn't until my friend Jack came to me and asked what I had worked on recently, that's when I told him that I had given up because I was forgetting things and told him what conditions I had. After about an hour of talking he told me he has the same as me, and that giving up is not the way to go. Later that week I went over to his home and was shocked what I saw. He had a pile of notes all over his desk, stuck to his monitors, his tower even his chair. I think at one point his cat was chewing them. But he had a format, a format that he used to remember the important information he needed. Taking home an example I tried it, with the code above I used the format to write out it in the boxes designated.

Within two days I had remembered the code through the format, the colour coding, the assignment of objects and numbers gave me a great idea of how I could remember all the important information. Although it can't be used for every piece of code written it was great that I finally had a way to remember.

Thank you, Jack!!!

Couple of months go by and I find that this format is working like a dream for me, I'm remembering more than I ever could and having a tremendous amount of fun making the random crap I did during the learning curves. And I had a notebook that look like a rainbow when you skipped through it.

And now I face a new problem. MATHS!

Ask anyone I know my maths is terrible, I can do basic maths but when it comes to algebra, trigonometry and calculus (even though we're not taught that in the UK) I can get incredibly stuck. Speaking to the department at school they taught me a similar trick to the one of remembering. By assigning a different colour to every aspect of the equation and mixing them two colours together makes the output. So for example if I had green for the first number, then + then have red for the second number it would output be yellow. I found that having simple memory tricks to remember formulas, equations and general information I needed to remember would benefit me greately and other programmers with dyslexia. It's not just colours, shapes, and other entities can help greately.

Advice for anyone thinking they have dyslexia or have it.

1: If you think you have it but haven't been diagnosed go get it checked.

For years I went around my normal, school and social life thinking that something was wrong with me, thinking that my mind is not normal. Having a proper diagnosis from a professional certainly took a massive load off my shoulders.

2: It's okay to have weird ways of remembering things.

Everyone remembers important information differently, some write it down, some keep saying/writing it until its stuck in their head forever. In one case a former colleague of mine had it tattooed on him. As long as you have a method of remembering it then that's the main thing.

3: It doesn't make you a bad programmer.

One of the thoughts I had rushing through my mind was that because of one condition I would never amount to anything good in my career, while I still have a long way to go before I find myself in a place I'll ultimately be happy with. Having dyslexia may of ruined my mindset for a while, and prevented me from getting further but I belive it has helped me grow stronger, and helped me greatly in the programming world.

4: If you're in some form of education use any resources provided.

Throughout all of the resources I've been provided in education establishements (even today at university) it has greatly helped me improve every aspect of my work and educational life, obviously every place is going to be different but the techniques given are a great help. And most the time its free or covered by someone else.

While today Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia are still a major part of my life I don't see them as an issue or a disablity, I see them as something that is in me that is making me stronger.

Some resources to help & learn regarding dyslexia:
Dyslexia help & support
Dyslexia foundation
NHS Dyslexia management