On Dyslexia
On Dyslexia
an article by Drowemos
Ok let me just start out by saying naming a disorder about the inability to spell or read words “Dyslexia “is a cruel thing to do. I mean really that’s just sick. “Oh your have a hard time spelling? There and name for that disorder and it’s completely impossible to spell breaking all the rules of the English language and common sense”. Psychologists and Linguists are just sadistic people make no mistake about it.
As you may have guessed, I am a mild dyslexic (seriously, writing that word is like a trip to the dentists for me). We all know the afterschool specials about dyslexia about upside-down “b”s and tearful admissions “I can’t read! Ok!”, but the truth of the matter is not all dyslexia is the same. Dyslexia, outside of being a psychologist’s cruel joke, is more of an umbrella heading for a cluster of disorders.
In my personal case I don’t really see letter scrambled it’s more like a short in my brain where letters are concerned. I like to equate it to a phone connection during an electrical storm. When I read or write some of the letters get lost and some times one letter arrives out of sequence.
So where most people read “dyslexia” as “D Y S L E X I A”, I get “ D {bzzt} S (E) L X {bzzt} (Some vowels hard to tell which in the static)”. The drop off is worse at the end of the words compared to the beginning and particularly bad letter that have alternate phonemes. “Access” for example is a real pain for me with “C”s and “S”s next to each other. When I write the same drop off process occurs.
This hasn’t really impacted my reading much. If you get the basic form of a word and the letters at the beginning you can figure out the context. For example “Hi ho(?) ar(?) yuo to(?)(?)y” can pretty easily be deciphered from the letters provided and the context.
I learned to read by looking at the first couple of letters a few in the middle of a word and the over all size of the word. “Polyandry” is stored in my brain as: “POL, a couples of “Y”s and a “D” in a word about 10 digits long”. I can read as fast as anyone with this method. But it does mean that I am completely blind to spelling errors in texts. Where typos seem to cause other people pain I don’t even see them because the basic form of the word is still correct and I am working on context not phonetics.
The only time I am thrown off in reading is when context breaks down. For example the sentence: “The bright fish, happy may be it’s bazooka, yippy, let’s all square pickle” would take me some time because the context keeps on taking left turns on me.
So reading? Not a problem. Writing on the other hand that’s where the difficulty comes in. As I have said the same cut out problem happens when I write as well as when I read. Again with writing at the problem primarily happens ends of words. S o I often drop “ed”s and “s” at the end of words. Since I read the text with the same dyslexia so I don’t see these problems when they happen.
Added to that functional problems, is the fact that I never learned the spelling of words in the first place. I know the word form and some of the key letters but not really every individual letter in the word. I have to sort of deduce the spelling as I write and for a language as screw up as English logical deductions are not always the best policy.
Then we have homophones. Homophones are the tool of the devil. Words should have one spelling. Words like “Their, There and They’re” were put on this earth to torment people like me. Remember I only know general word forms and phonetics are useless when it comes to homophones. Also since I am reading from context and only usually get only the beginning of words I have actually never seen homophones used in context. I read “There, Their, and They’re” as “The{bzzt}r, The{bzzt}r, and The{bzzt}r”. They look exactly the same to me.
When I try to write a word that is a homophone my brain gives me a long indignant stare and then says “Fcuk you” (this is the dyslexic for of the more common insult). Eventually it will grab a random spelling out of memory and throw it on the page saying “Try this one. There’s a chance it will be right.”. Homophones are evil evil things and anyone who cares about these stupid words is a evil evil person.
So that’s my brain. Now here is the two big questions related to this:
1) If you have such a problem with spelling why don’t you get an editor?
2) If you have such a problem with spelling why are you “witting” comics at all?
Question 1
An editor. That would be nice. I would like one of those. The problem is that the comic is usually running so close to the wire with art and other concerns editors would just delay publishing. Being dyslexic in the way I am really has made me question the importance people put on spelling. I can read just fine with out it. Seriously, who has the brain disorder if I can read a page with a spellings error and you can’t?
Perhaps there should be a new category of mental disorder “Hyeperlexia” for people who are unable to read documents with spelling errors in it. These people clearly need help. We could have a telethon for them. “Do you or a loved one suffer from excessive whininess when encountering spelling or grammar error? This is Hyperlexia a silent plague effecting 1 out of every 10 American causing them to be annoying condescending jerks causing nothing but grief and contributing in no positive way to society. Please give today so we can get these people the help they so desperately need.” Not that I am bitter or anything.
I need to find an editor no doubt but at this time I have not found one who can work with the reliability and speed that I need on the puny salary I could offer. If it the choice is delaying publication or publishing with a spelling error or two I will pick publishing with the spelling errors (although granted some times the spelling errors are more than one or two).
I simply disagree with the premise that typos are less professional than missing deadlines. Granted I have missed plenty of deadline but not because I was waiting for spelling corrections. I am not claiming that I AM profession, I am just saying that the argument that “typo are unprofessional” is a bit questionable.
Question 2
Why do I write at all? Because I enjoy it. For 20 years of my life I avoid writing anything because of my dyslexia. I had stories in my head but I didn’t dare put them to paper. Then, mostly by accident, I started making comics. It was… the only work I can use is orgasmic. It was pure joy.
My grandfather never ate strawberries until he was 40 because he though they looked gross and were dirty. They one day he ate a strawberry and on that day he wept. It turned out he loved the taste of strawberries and had been missing out all his life.
When I finished the first story arch for Exiern and saw it put up on the web I wept as well. I had been missing out on this wonderful thing all my life because of my dyslexia. I love to write and tell stories and I never realized it.
So now I write all the time. I am not claiming that I am the best writer or even a good writer. Perhaps I could have been if the English teachers in school took the time to let me know that spelling has nothing to do with writing and encouraged my passion at a young age instead of being shriveled up harpies who couldn’t see beyond their narrow view of the language and what is important. Not that I am bitter and angry and perhaps a bit vengeful or anything. What I am saying is I love to write. Exiern is a labor of love as is all my writing.
My grandfather ate strawberries every day after the first time he tried them. Too much of his life was wasted not eating strawberries. He would eat them even when they were a little past and not that good.
I write every day now even the writing on that day is not very good. Too much of my life has been wasted not writing. When I stop getting that orgasmic thrill from creating a story I will stop writing. And that hasn’t even come close to happening yet and I hope it never does.
So now you know why there are spelling errors in Exiern.
This is a pretty awesome recap. Really interested to get your take on it, and, honestly, who cares about the spelling errors?
I see where you get that an editor might cause delays, but what about giving a rough script to the editor first, at about the same time you give it to the artist?
Then, if the editor(s) for whatever reason don’t get the script back to you before the art’s done, or the phrasing doesn’t seem accurate to a character (such as Tiffany saying “good sir, I am insulted by your ignorant accusation!” in response to Teresa’s unintended insults to her) you just roll it with YOUR version.
In response to “Being dyslexic in the way I am really has made me question the importance people put on spelling. I can read just fine with out it. Seriously, who has the brain disorder if I can read a page with a spellings error and you can’t” –
I’m one of “those guys” who will go back and correct people continually. I’m much the reverse of you – I don’t see words phonetically, I’m actually just more “fluent” in written English than spoken. Just like homophones are to you, some spelling errors are to us – if not quite as severe.
On the most recent page, nothing really threw me off except “souvenir”/”sovereign”. I honestly forgot entirely about the word “sovereign” (doesn’t even seem like a word she’d use off hand) but the context made it clear what she was saying.
It just appears as a flaw to people like me – an unfortunate mar on the great story that is Exiern. Kind of like the disappearing gloves or dancing group of four (they kept ending up on different sides of each other between panels); it’s not something that makes the story’s path unusable, but it is a bit of a bump.
If you CAN find someone who would edit the speech of the scripts beforehand, then awesome! Go with it. If you can’t, or they miss deadlines, however, just go as you’ve been going.
The minor flaws will be all forgotten by the next page anyway.
so many points in this article are correct. people who excess about spelling errors are annoying. also many people have difficulty spelling correctly. and many people can figure out the correct spelling simply from context.
what’s most important in all of what you have said here is that you are ‘Being Creative’ in a Positive Way!
Please continue to do so!
First, love the comic, the new artwork is fantastic.
Second, have you ever tried some voice recognition software? Like Dragon Naturally Speaking or whatever is out there these days? You could dictate everything then run spell check on it…then cut and paste
uoY tog thguorht taht yako. oS tahw si eht melborp?
Not a bad idea. Although my dyslexia is not so bad that I can’t write at all. I just have a complete inability to see spelling errors.
I am looking for someone. Just been busy with other things.
“…naming a disorder about the inability to spell or read words “Dyslexia “is a cruel thing to do…”
That reminds me of the old linguistic joke: “What sadistic bastard decided to name a condition where people can not pronounce ‘s’ with a vowel as “Lisping” .
LOL – it’s funny ’cause it’s true.
I thought your article was an excellent description of the visual/audible processing disassociation we commonly call ‘dyslexia’. I guess I would be one of the people you would refer to a ‘hyperlexic’ although I have never corrected anyone’s spelling on a posting board or anywhere else online unless I was asked to. Anyway what you touched on is something anthropologists who study linguistic development have been aware of for some time…. basically every single person on the planet is ‘dyslexic’ in one form or another, most in ways we don’t usually associate with dyslexia. Basically dyslexia is a disassociation in our brains between where we process visual input and where sound is processed. Language, including in written form, is an Audible process and reading is a Visual process… and they happen to be done on opposite sides of the brain for very good evolutionary reasons. I started writing a whole explanation of that, the results, and to expand on why Nyzer (or me) find certain kinds of spelling errors to be so jarring (it is actually associated with the same things that cause dyslexia), but it was approaching university text book size in number of words. So I’ll simply point out that another example of ‘dyslexia’ is when you see someone you know, possibly for years, but can’t remember their name if your life depended on it, or the reverse where someone says a name and you know the person but can’t picture their face. Similarly how many people do you know who may be excellent spellers but have one or two perfectly simple words that they spell incorrectly at least half the time?… Furthermore they KNOW they do, and it probably annoys the heck out them (For me the word is “necessary” – and yes I spelled it wrong when I first typed it, spell check caught it).
hmm i have mild dyslexia my self its not so much my reading as it is spelling occasionaly i put a letter wrong or spell a word how it sounds not how it is spelt and homophones are in deed evil i still don’t get which one to use
as for reading typos i find them easy and yer some people are gits i was writing some notes in a libary once and some twat came up to me and went erm its spelt like this and your whole first sentence is incorect my reply was this hmm well lets see i have dyslexia but clearly your small self important brain did not even bother to think of this possible reason and instead you decided to be an ass and treat me like i am stupid so why don’t you go over there and boss around small children to satisfy your need for self importance.
I could edit it for you. I would find it fairly easy, and since there is no work for me right now (I substitute for a school district), I have plenty of time. Let me now how often I should check my email, and I would be able to spell check a couple of pages and get it back to you within an hour at most. I can understand if you don’t want to since you don’t even know me, but my dad is dyslexic and two of my friends are as well. So I am familiar with the various types and sympathize, but I am kind of anal about people using good English, if they know how. I like the way you described your dyslexia, my friend Tami probably has what you have, because she’s a great reader and terrible speller. My dad has trouble reading as well, and my other friend has trouble reading, spelling and she mixes up numbers. And the spell check that computers do miss a lot of errors. Okay, so well, good luck, and besides the last comic, I never noticed any spelling issues except in your posts.
The only people who get bothered by spelling mistakes to the point that it removes the enjoyment for them are those who tend to be a little bit on the obsessive side.
), but I’ve been able to read typos and gently point them out to the person with them without it being a huge deal. Cause really, as long as I understand the context, and the word they’re trying to use, it works.
I have mild OCD (Or, rather, should be CDO… since, ya know. That’s in order, like it should be!
I used to do editing for my friend’s stories too, in fact. Which reminds me…
If I had some way to offer my services as an editor for your comic, I’d love to do it.
My mother drilled spelling, grammar and more into my head from the young age of 4 onward.
Reading is a joy to me. So I tend to fly through books that are 500+ pages in mere hours. (Which has led me to only read late at night so I start to fall asleep before finishing the book… extending the amount of days I can read it in. ^-^ )
But yeah. I’d be willing to help out if you’d like me to. If not, no worries. The comic is a joy to read, regardless of typos or not.
I don’t have any reading disorder, but when I’m reading through something, my brain automatically fixes words so that I don’t even notice that there is a mistake. When this doesn’t happen, it is rather jarring, as it slows my relatively slow reading to a stop while I have to analyze the word quickly.
On the other hand, I know how to spell most words and can spot errors as long as I’m not trying to read too fast
Following on Jelarin, I too would love to help out here. I am not dyslexic, and DO notice the spelling errors, but I would never be so crass as to obsess or mention these minor things that do not in any way detract from Exiern as we know and love.
I’ve been following the comic for years, suffered patiently with everyone else during the hiatus, and was overjoyed when you started up again.
So, how about a team effort? You already have (at least) two volunteers, and (in my case) the only payment would be seeing a polished Exiern out.
The technical name for someone afraid of “big words” is the longest word in the dictionary. If it isn’t sadism, it must be that PHDs in psychiatry have an inherent need to make everyone else in the world look and feel inferior to them. As a cautionary note, avoid psychiatrists turned radio talk- show host.
Actually there is a disorder called “Hyperlexia”, and I’ve got it, and no it’s not quite what Drowemos portrayed it as.
Short version? It’s a form of autism, one of the better ones. I get a boosted IQ, really REALLY good with languages, more with the written bits and longer or more complicated stuff. The problems are impaired social skills, and a few wonky things about learning, especially as a kid.
Oh and I’d be glad to be an unpaid proofreader/editor. I also think the whole “Send script to editor and artist, if the editor doesn’t respond fast enough, just print it anyway” idea is a really good way to do it.
Hi there Drowemos. I took some training when I was a foster parent on how to help children with Dyslexia. I know you’re not a child, but I also know better than to dwell on simple spelling errors caused by dyslexia. As for the Grammar Nazis out there….WHO ON EARTH CARES IF A WORD IS SPELLED WRONG? Seriously, can you people honestly say that 9 times out of 10 you don’t read it normaly and then notice later a small typo? On the sibject though… Drow… I will HAPPILY edit for you FOR FREE. I don’t know if I have the necessary tools, but I love your work and since I cannot support it financially ( I’d love to but I bring home a meager paycheck at best) I’ll gladly do what I can and be your editor for free. I only work part time so I’d be able to edit on time. I wrote my email in the thing that I sign in for commenting, though I’m not sure if you can see it. I’ll check back if you can’t and find another way to make sure you can contact me. ^_^
I had always assumed that English wasn’t your first language, so I would try to ignore the mistakes. Now that I know that you’re dyslexic, I sympathize. However, reading that you find spelling and grammar mistakes unimportant upsets me. The reason for this is not because I’m some kind of grammar Nazi. It’s because i enjoy your comic, and yet some days I have to read it up to 5 times before i understand it. On those days, by the time I understand what you’re saying, I am no longer enjoying reading. (If it’s any consolation, your writing is getting better, and this is happening less and less.) You know better than most that not everyone’s mind works the same. To me, trying to understand the meaning behind a sentence with an improper structure can be like trying to get the correct answer out of a math formula with some of the numbers or symbols put in wrong. I mean, if you know roughly what the outcome is supposed to be like, you can work back through the problem correcting it, but by that point you’ve thought a lot more about the problem (the words) then the answer (the meaning).
you think dyslexia is an evil word? at least if you spell it on the computer it has spell check to catch it. People with lisps can’t even say what they have!
That’s gotta suck, making writing harder. Just invest in a good spell check, eh?
Junk, to be honest, if you can’t understand it, then YOUR mind isn’t working right. The human mind naturally reorganizes words to makes sense, and a half a second puzzling out a grammar issue can deal with the whole thing. Try reading it faster, and it should have a clearer meaning. The more effort you put into puzzling it out, the harder your going to make it for yourself. He would liretally have to get evrey letter worng for your bairn to not auto-fix it. Don’t believe me? you may want to reread the last little bit.
Hahahahaha, I wrote the bit about the human brain being able to read words with messed up spelling as long as you don’t read super slowly, but forgot about this. This may as well have been directed at you, Junk.
“Perhaps there should be a new category of mental disorder “Hyeperlexia” for people who are unable to read documents with spelling errors in it. These people clearly need help. We could have a telethon for them. “Do you or a loved one suffer from excessive whininess when encountering spelling or grammar error? This is Hyperlexia a silent plague effecting 1 out of every 10 American causing them to be annoying condescending jerks causing nothing but grief and contributing in no positive way to society. Please give today so we can get these people the help they so desperately need.” Not that I am bitter or anything.”
Most normals don’t read letter-by-letter most of the time, either, That’s why some spelling errors always seem to slip by certain people – they just automatically match it, like you do. The problem, though, is that each person’s rules for matching words will be somewhat different. A jumble you recognize as ‘dyslexia’ might get mapped to ‘dysentery’ for someone else. The best way to avoid problems is to spell words the same way that it was spelled when the pattern to recognize it was being formed.
THAT is the real benefit of standardized spelling: universality.
(That said, if you at least make an effort to get close and maybe run it through an automated spellchecker, context should be more than enough to decode meaning, even if it does require the reader to go back and read a line again.)
I’m one of those who have a hard time looking past spelling errors. Partly because my brain requires structure in everything, if it lacks structure I can’t properly learn it. Partly because English is my second language.
Spelling, punctuation and semantics are vital for me to be able to read easily. Words with jumbled letters not only cause me to pause, but I have to spend several seconds to figure out what it’s supposed to say. Joural’s example had me slow down to reorganize the letters. The word “bairn” came out as “airplane” for example. Huh, kinda fits what Drowemos wrote, about recognizing parts of the word.
I see spelling and grammatical errors in my native language as well, but a few more slip by my brain. It all leaves me with a keen eye for errors in any text but my own, and, sadly, a need to correct others.
Fun random fact. I worked as a mailman for two years, with but a glance at the letter (etc…) I knew where to sort it. I read, at times, as little as half a last name. I averaged at about 1 error per 1000 mails.
Glad I read this first. I was going to be my usual grammar-Nazi self, but under the circumstances you get a pass. I would suggest getting someone who doesn’t have such issues to quickly glance over your dialogue before each strip is posted. Happy to provide the service. Leave a comment on my journal (linked) if you wanna take me up on it.
I’m worried that this might sound condescending… but after reading this, I’m so proud that you are a writer. Hearing about the joy it brings you almost made me cry myself. That is the true beauty of art and of the written word, in my opinion. Whether experiencing it or creating it, it can move our souls in ways that we never thought possible and inspire us to new heights of passion—a very glorious thing.
Don’t ever let yourself feel restricted by the rules of spelling and grammar. While it’s true that some semblance of grammar and proper spelling is required for others’ understanding, human language transcends those rules. We’re not just conveying a simple meaning; the things we write or say are trying to evoke feelings. Oftentimes, poetry and some kinds of creative writing will violate the laws of grammar for the sake of their writing’s “voice,” and I don’t think that this is any different. Confining yourself to proper English can limit the beauty of your words.
If you’re curious, you’re not the only webcomic writer who has dyslexia. Jennie Breeden of The Devil’s Panties also has it if I’m remembering properly, and I’m sure that there are others.
Seems the errors in the archive are fixed, but if you’re ever in want of an editor, please let me know. I’m a high school student, but I’m considered extremely talented with the English language and almost never make mistakes myself. (I don’t want you to feel like I’m bragging at you. Just trying to share whether or not I’d be qualified!) I tend to have a lot of time on my hands because I’m chronically ill and I don’t regularly attend class, so I’d have no trouble meeting deadlines most likely.
throw everything into word (or the like). it will check spelling and grammar and let you know when something is off kilter.
AnonymousMan would gladly help in any way he can! I’ve always been particular about my spelling and grammar. I may have a mild case of hyperlexia, as you described. I’ve received perfect scores on many of my spelling tests in elementary school, and I knew every word in the high school spelling bee (I failed due to stage fright though). Throughout my life, I’ve sought after many words and their spelling, to the point where I can use words that I don’t even know the meaning of. Strange, I know.
I check this comic every single day. I’m online every day, and if you want, I could give you my main email. I think that I could do this so reliably quickly (I am fast at detecting mistakes and correcting them, whether I say them out loud or not), that it could hardly be called a job. If that’s not enough to interest you, I could gladly work as a volunteer, so you wouldn’t have to pay me. I’m not sure if you still need an editor, but here’s my offer, nonetheless.
Having once been an editor, I can be picky with the best of them…but if the story’s good, it doesn’t always matter. And your story’s good.
Andrew Jackson said, “It’s a sorry man who only knows one way to spell a word.”
Amen
Spelling is not the same as writing and anyone who tells you so is being a jerk.
I enjoy from very similar reading issues, but it sounds like I’ve been forced to spend a lot more time painstakingly memorizing spellings and homophones (trust me, I don’t blame you if you don’t, it was very unpleasant and I did some of it out of shame). I didn’t actually realize that the reading by only recognizing parts of words thing was abnormal until I read this post. I lose words/letters when writing and transpose b/p often but spelling is what killed me. I got through it by memorizing a separate phonetic reading for each word and mentally reciting it when I’m writing so I can transcribe the sounds into letters. x_x
I did want to say, as far as why you might want an editor or might want to care about spelling, because not everyone who has problems reading has the same problems you do. Some people are going to find the variations that you introduce hard to deal with (just as they’re invisible to you).
Anyhow, I think all that was a longwinded way of getting to: I love your comic and look forward to more. Thanks for writing this post. It taught me something new about myself.
@DROWEMOS – I followed your ad on Girl Genius to this site. I was poking around trying to get a sense of what kind of comic this was when I found your article above. Wow! So fascinating! You described your experience so well and in such detail that I could really imagine it. I’m so glad you were able to find such joy in writing.
I myself am a person who finds spelling and grammar errors painful, but I am very cautious about pointing out errors, because I don’t want to be unkind. I do offer to proofread, though, for friends who are spelling challenged.
Since you were kind enough to give us a glimpse into the workings of your brain, I will try to return the favor by describing what spelling and grammar errors feel like to me.
I love to read. I love the very act of translating marks on a page into words in my head. When I’m reading a good story or a good non-fiction text, I become immersed in it. I’m still aware of me sitting on the couch reading, but a big part of my mind is IN the story, or caught up in the ideas in an article. My brain skims over some typos and I don’t even notice them. But when I encounter most typos and awkward grammar bits, it’s like tripping over a rock, or getting smacked in the face. Suddenly, I’m thrown out of the world I was in. It’s usually pretty easy to figure out what the author meant, but the flow is interrupted. If it happens frequently, the fun is lost and I stop reading.
If you want to consider this a brain defect, it’s OK with me. Everyone’s brain works a little differently. You learn to cope with what you’ve got.
Keep doing what you love!
@AETHELAF – you said, “Language, including in written form, is an Audible process and reading is a Visual process… and they happen to be done on opposite sides of the brain…”
I never really thought about that, but yes, as I VISUALLY read a word, I HEAR the word in my mind. If you ever write the long version of your post, I would be very interested in reading it.
“I can read just fine with out it. Seriously, who has the brain disorder if I can read a page with a spellings error and you can’t? ”
I think I can help you understand why people have problems with multiple spelling errors. Basically, think of this: Imagine having a nice vanilla ice cream cone. Looks great — and then you go to take a lick — and the ice cream is REALLY mashed potatoes. You like mashed potatoes, so you would think it’s OK, but the “surprise” is a distraction and can sometimes bring on a feeling of disgust. It doesn’t taste right, it doesn’t FEEL right. Spelling errors are like reading speed-bumps. They take away from the flow and enjoyment of the “ride”.
That said, and I’m only speaking for myself here, *IF* I’m reading something from someone who HAS problems like yours and I’m EXPECTING it — it becomes far less distracting. It doesn’t eliminate it, but flow-recovery (if that’s a good description) is a LOT shorter. And while I *DO* notice your errors, the fact that I keep coming back and reading says a lot about WHAT you write…
I can’t really add much that anyone else has said, but I will add to the chuckling towards the ridiculousness of human logic.
Aethelaf
August 6, 2010 at 3:26 pm | #
“…naming a disorder about the inability to spell or read words “Dyslexia “is a cruel thing to do…”
That reminds me of the old linguistic joke: “What sadistic bastard decided to name a condition where people can not pronounce ‘s’ with a vowel as “Lisping” .
LOL – it’s funny ’cause it’s true.
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is the fear of long words.
Hey I just read the whole Exiern comic in about 5 hours. I have never been diagnosed with dyslexia but my family believes that me and my father have a varrient of it. In our cases we can read fine findding most spelling errers when we read but not when we write. The only time it bothers me is when I KNOW that I have spelled something wrong but I cant figuer out how you do spell the word. Spell check would seem like a blessing at that point but by then Ive usualy garbled up the word so bad that spell check has no clue what I was trying to say. I also have the problem of harpy like english teachers the thought that I may have a ligitamit problem with spelling insted of just a disregard for spelling altogether never occured to any of them. The worrest are deffinatly the ones who when you do even parcialy admit to your problem say get a dictionary. THIS IS NO HELP since the way a dictionary works is you look up the word BASED ON ITS SPELLING and if you cant spell the word you cant find that word and if you can find the word in the dictionary then obviously you know how to spell the word. Which is why dispite the fact that I love both reading and, dispite the dyslexia, writting the main components of english class it has always been one of my least favorit subjects. This never affects my reading I can read fine extreamly well in fact I can read not skim read extreamly quickly and then retain almost everything I read for long periods of time. The only time my dyslexia shows up other then in spelling is when I read something out loud. I look at the word on the page and in my head I can say it perfectly and I know what the word is but offten times even with simple words as I say them some were imbtween my brain and my mouth the word gets garbled and then it comes out as gaddy thams instead of teddy grams.
My nephews are diagnosed with Dysgraphia a variation of Dyslexia. Where a dyslexic person mixes up the order of the letters (usually) or mis-spells them entirely (the rarer form of the condition), or numbers rarely both, dysgraphic people have trouble with shapes. An E that is backwards or sideways looks perfectly normal to them for example and it took them forever to learn what it meant at all. Morgan, the oldest, is 12 now and his spelling is truly horrible. Perhaps at the second grade level because of the dysgraphia, so i understand what you mean. Thankfully the condition is properly diagnosed and they are getting the help they need but it is an uphill battle all they way.
I actually fall into both of the groups discussed here – I’m slightly dyslexic, but I’m also sensitive to spelling and grammar mistakes. I’ve quoted some crazy prices when working at a coffee shop as my brain swapped letters around, when trying to spell “business” I always have to sound it out as “busy-ness”, and for years I thought the word “pell-mell” was actually “mell-pell” (I still think “mell-pell” sounds better). Perhaps the strangest is that I’ll often say “orange” when I mean “green” (or is it that I say “green” when I mean “orange”?), though I’m not sure if that’s the dyslexia or some other weird brain thing. That said, bad spelling and grammar also often bug me. If it’s the occasional typo-type error than my brain usually auto-fixes it, but if its the wrong homophone or a improperly structured sentence than it’s likely to throw me. Lady Philyra described it fairly well for me – I get so sucked into a story that I can become completely oblivious to what’s going on around me, and certain kinds of mistakes knock me out of that zone like a slap in the face. I don’t consciously read each word, never mind each letter, but that means that when something break that flow it really stands out to me. It doesn’t usually slow me down that much, but it definitely reduces my enjoyment.
In terms of professionalism, I’d have to say that both spelling/grammar mistakes _and_ failing to meet deadlines are unprofessional. I don’t know which I’d consider worse.
All that said, I’ve just read through all of Exiern in the past few days, and there weren’t that many places where I was jarred out of my reading flow. It obviously wasn’t enough for me to give up on reading the comic. I’d encourage you to take up one of the editing offers made here, but I plan to follow your comic regardless. And when it comes to web comics, I’d much prefer to have an update with a spelling mistake or two than no update at all.