Ask HN: How Should I Learn to Programming with Dyslexia/ADHD | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How Should I Learn to Programming with Dyslexia/ADHD

3 pointsb84 comments

I know some programming things already, but I often mistype features or have to reference online documentation to internalize things. Are there anything to help me learn and internalize faster to become a better program?

View on HN

Make your workflow easier to reference material and you will naturally memorize it. Take notes, and do it haphazardly. If you think you'll need something later, tag it and throw it in your notes. Just work on something fun. Try out exciting things. Get medicated. Try body doubling on Focusmate. Work and talk to people that can give you instant feedback and instructions. Make your workflow natural and zen, that includes your desktop and tools. Be curious and edevelopments. Have people to work with and build for. Try harnessing accountability. Get paid for your work. Set short deadlines. Gain a fundamental understanding of how computers work. Journal about you're doing. When you're writing a lengthy forum post asking for help you'll probably figure out the solution before pressing post.

Nobody remembers everything, there's too much. We use IDEs to help us with things like autocomplete and we chech the documentation very frequently.

Generally when I'm writing code I will have a dozen tabs open with various documentation pages.

Even if you could remember everything, there's always something new to learn. So done worry if you have to look stuff up, we all do.

I think you are describing many programmers, myself included. Dyslexia and some form of ADD seems to go with the territory.

In my case, I tend to get really passionate about some project, not so much because it will make me rich and famous but rather simply because I cannot wait to play with it when it's coded.

That gets me through all the typos and so forth.

Keep hacking!

internalizing comes from repetition. Hand writing helps with that too. There's a free class on various platforms called "learning how to learn." It was a big help to me in understanding how brains process and develop memories.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com