What if everything you thought about dyslexia was wrong?
In this eye-opening episode of AI Kid You Not, Mia and Olive sit down with Russell Van Brocklen—a wildly passionate educator, New York State-funded researcher, and founder of DyslexiaClasses.com—who didn’t learn to read and write until law school… but now teaches kids to write at a graduate level.
Russell shares how AI might be the best thing to ever happen to dyslexic learners—if, and only if, it’s used at the right time. He walks us through a radical writing method that starts with villains and heroes, scales to senior-year analysis, and rewires how students organize thoughts—whether they’re neurodivergent or not.
From crafting original arguments to rewriting with AI (yes, the expensive kind), this is a masterclass in how to thrive in an AI-saturated world. Whether you’re a parent, teen, teacher, or just someone who struggles with writing, this episode will change the way you think about learning.
Russell’s wild journey: From a 1st-grade reading level in college to teaching grad-level writing
The shocking truth: Dyslexia is not a reading problem—it’s a frontal lobe organization problem
AI and the neurodiverse brain: Why ChatGPT was basically made for dyslexics (eventually)
The method: A writing process that turns kids into original thinkers, not copy-pasters
What to do BEFORE using AI—and what happens when you skip those steps
Why every student needs “senior-level” writing by the end of high school… or else
“AI can write for you—but only if you already know how to think. That’s the trap.”
—Russell Van Brocklin
“People think dyslexia is a learning deficit. It’s not. It’s a creative processing difference.”
—Mia
“If you’re 14 and writing like a college senior, then yeah—go get ChatGPT Pro. Until then? Don’t touch it.”
—Russell
“We’re not scared of AI replacing us. We’re scared of not knowing how to work with it.”
—Olive
What the best writing curriculum should include in the age of AI
How to spot when your child is ready to use advanced AI tools responsibly
How to turn neurodiversity into academic and career advantages
Want to crush essays and sound like a genius (without cheating)?
Curious how to actually use AI to level up your writing?
Tired of boring paragraphs? What if writing felt like solving a mystery?
Russell's method makes writing feel more like building a game—and yes, you can win.
Russell’s free guide: dyslexiaclasses.com
Book mentioned: The Craft of Research by Booth, Colomb & Williams (University of Chicago Press)
Want us to do a whole episode on The Craft of Research, teen-style? Should Olive try Russell’s method live on air?
Tell us what you think! DM us on Instagram, drop a voice memo, or leave a review wherever you listen.
🎧 Subscribe to AI Kid You Not for weekly episodes on how teens and families can survive—and thrive—in the age of AI.
💡 Key Topics We Cover:🧩 Soundbites to Remember:🧠 For Parents & Educators:👩🏽💻 For Teens Like Olive:🔗 Resources:📣 Call to Action:
