Neopronouns and learning disabilities: The match made in hell
Now I know what youâre thinking, why is a transmed lecturing me about neopronouns???
Well, today Iâve set any possible bias aside, and Iâve decided to inform you all about why some people CANNOT use/respect neopronouns. It can seem pretty easy to understand them from a non-LD (non-LD=non-learning disability) point of view but ďżźlet me tell you, for people with ADHD, Dyslexia, and in some cases discalculia, this can be further from the truth.
Before we begin, Iâm gonna define those terms for those of you who may be a bit in the dark on them
Dyslexia: A learning disability where oneâs brain tends to transpose (switch around/scramble) letters in a word, making it appear as nonsense.
Discalculia: A learning disability where oneâs brain tends to transpose (switch around/scramble) numbers in a figure, making it appear as an entirely different number.
Now, A lot of people with dyslexia tend to transpose words early on, and this can inhibit the learning process. Those who have to learn to read with heavy or severe dyslexia (like myself) begin to rely on core/structure words. A core/structure word is a word or set of words that appear commonly in the basic structure of a sentance. Words like this....
(Iâm sorry I know the picture quality it terrible)
Core/Structure words are seen so often by the brain that it makes them easily recognizable and since youâre still in a learning stage, some are able to move past the point where they transpose these words often. Using Core/Structure words like these can help you get the idea of a sentance!
I like to have lunch with my friend Jason in the park.
I like to ____ ____ with my______ ______ in the ____
See? Itâs not the same thing, but you can kind of get the general idea of the statement! Since those key words are there to help you out, they can make understanding general ideas of a sentance easier! The same thing goes for pronouns!
My friend Marvin likes to collect Marbles, he trades them with me at recess!
My____ _____ likes to _____ _______, he _____ them with me at _____!
The pronoun he helps us to understand that the sentence is talking about someone else, not the author.
This can become very confusing for readers when neopronouns are added into the mix, for the next few examples weâll be using several different sets of neopronouns!
Letâs try Zey/Zeir with a longer, but still lower level reading sentance....
Chase and I like to play catch, Zey always beat me, and afterwards we go in Zeir house to have a snack.
_____and I like to _____ _____, ____ ______ ____ me, and _______ we go in ______ ______ to have a _____.
How about Rot/Rots/Rotself with a sentance using only they/them pronouns.
I donât want to play with rot! Rot always takes away my favorite doll, and rot keeps it to rotself the whole time!
I donât want to_____ with _____ ! _____ ______ away my _____ doll, and _____ ____ it to ______ the _____ time!
Not only do neopronouns take away our ability to piece together sentences easier, it can also take us longer to read a paragraph because the obscure pronouns will throw us off. Why is this a problem for discalculic people though? Well, neopronouns can span to things like numbers too, which are just as difficult for dyslexic people too!
Letâs use 78/78s/78self pronouns
Alex and I went to a theme park today, 78 ate a bunch of cotton candy, and got a sick tummy. After 78 felt better, 78 said we should ride the Farris wheel! They took us all around 2 times and I could see the parking lot from the very top!
Can turn into this for someone with dyslexia and discalculia:
____ and I went to a _______ _____ _____, 87 ate a ___ of ______ _____, and got a _____ ____. After 76 felt _____, 97 said we ______ _____ the _______ _______! They took us all_______ 2 times and I _____ see the _______ _______ from the very top!
See how absolutely confusing that is? And these are just basic examples, some more complex pieces can look absolutely insane.
The same can be said for emoji pronouns!
Below me is an example, the highlighted words are Core/Structure words which werenât transposed
ALL of that being said, sometimes neopronouns just arenât an option, if you donât have dyslexia or discalculia you cannot judge those who do for being unable to use your neopronouns. Theyâre not âLazyâ or âusing it as an excuseâ theyâre genuinely struggling. If you can use a pronoun like She, He, or They, even if itâs just an exception for them, theyâll actually be able to communicate with you. Now keep in mind not everyoneâs dyslexia is as severe but for those who struggle like this it does not help to be constantly ridiculed for being unable to use them, try as we might.
I understand it can be confusing for those of you out there who may have a processing disorder or Autism and thatâs ok! I understand it can be frustrating for you.
However, itâs never alright to Bully, Harrass, or Degrade someone who cannot use your pronouns due to their disability, this includes doing things like this...
Reccomending things for them to try before you let them explain how their LD works. (This is like reccomending yoga to someone with a wheelchair to fix their paralysis)
Calling them âLazyâ or âstupidâ for being unable to understand your pronouns. (Thatâs just straight up ableist)
Disregarding their requests for compensation
Telling them theyâre âusing it as an excuseâ or âsaying that because they donât wanna tryâ because trust me, weâve tried really hard!
Just be nice to them, if you wouldnât want someone telling you to do a similar thing about your disability, then you probably shouldnât say that to them. Theyâre still disabled and youâre not exempt from showing ableist behavior!
