Few Tips

Let’s at least try to make our work life bearable, science in academia is already tough enough as it is.

• Sleep and honesty (with boundaries): It’s important to admit when you’re too tired to proofread or speak. Take a break—cook, paint, play music, and get a good night’s sleep. Sometimes sharing why you're struggling helps, but remember you don’t owe anyone an explanation. If a supervisor or colleague is unsupportive, don’t exhaust yourself trying to educate them; instead, plan to avoid working with that person in the future whenever possible.

• Use redundant information: Incorporate multiple visual cues to help with reading accuracy—like assigning each genotype a color, an emoji for each experimental group, and the group identifier. This redundancy significantly reduces reading errors.
  
  
  

• Visual scheduling apps: I rely on apps like Sectograph to manage my time. I always ask colleagues to wait while I check my schedule before setting up meetings, and I request confirmation afterward. I put everything in this calendar, even routine tasks like feeding or taking measurements, to avoid forgetting.
  
  

• Divide datasets into randomized subsections: This helps avoid having sequential IDs too close together on a page, reducing the risk of errors. You can print all the different pages and display them in different places according to your random batch, which helps visually separate them and makes it easier to manage. I even developed R Shiny apps to automate data entry from forms, sparing me from having to write things out manually.
  
  
  
  

• AI reading and summarization tools: I use NotebookLM to help clarify articles' sections with too many abbreviations; listening to an article after reading helps with memorization and integration of information.
  
  

• Use AI carefully: Give AI one task at a time (e.g., logic, transitions, spelling, or syntax) but never all at once to maintain control over the amount of comparison you have to do.

Being a science student is already tough enough; if we want the next generation of scientists to hatch, we need to take good care of them!

• Recognize the challenges: Understand that dyslexia affects reading, writing, organization, and time management. Offer to provide written summaries of meetings and key points in accessible formats. As more details to your students about how to support them specifically.

• Provide clear, consistent communication: Repeat important details both verbally and in writing, and be open to questions. Don’t overdo it—if the person says, “Okay, I got it” trust that they’re aware of their own needs and avoid repeating excessively, as it might feel patronizing.
  
  

• Encourage the use of tools: Support the use of assistive technologies like AI readers, scheduling apps, and color-coding systems.
  
  

• Practice active listening and supportive feedback: When you notice mistakes, try to offer help rather than criticism. Instead of saying, “It’s not acceptable to submit a text with so many mistakes” or “You can’t keep making these mistakes if you want to have a career” try saying, “The content of the text is great. I noticed a few spelling errors—would you like me to review it again focusing on spelling, or would you prefer to use a software tool to catch them at the end?” This approach builds trust and confidence.
  
  
  

• Avoid guilt-tripping: Never try to make the person feel guilty about their mistakes—it won’t help them improve. Comments like, “It’s not acceptable to submit a text with so many mistakes” “You can’t keep making these mistakes if you want to have a career” or “People will think you’re incompetent” will only increase stress and lead to overcompensation or avoidance.
  
  
  

• Never compare dyslexics to each other: Don’t say things like, “This mistake—someone else who was also dyslexic didn’t make that one,” or “They used to do that too, but you got better.” Every person compensates differently, and you have no idea what challenges they faced to get to this level. Comparing students can create a hostile working environment, for both dyslexic and non-dyslexic students actually.