How Dyslexic Brains Can Supercharge AI Thinking with Prof. Russell Van Brocklin

In this episode of Open Tech Talks, I sit down with Professor Russell Van Brocklin, a New York State Senate-funded researcher, known as "The Dyslexic Professor," to unpack a very different way of thinking about AI, problem-solving, and dyslexia.

Russell's work sits at the intersection of cognitive enhancement and AI integration.

He shows how an "overactive" front part of the dyslexic brain (word analysis and articulation) can be turned into a superpower not just for dyslexic learners, but for professionals and businesses working with AI.

We talk about how his program took dyslexic high-school students who were writing like 12-year-olds and, in one school year, moved them up 7–8 grade levels in writing… at a fraction of the cost of traditional dyslexia programs.

From there, he connects it to AI collaboration: how the same mental models (context → problem → solution) can make anyone dramatically more effective when working with LLMs like ChatGPT.

Episode # 176

Today's Guest:

Russell Van Brocklen, Dyslexia Professor

Russell Van Brocklen speaking, the Dyslexia Professor, shifting daily reading frustrations into confident academic wins for students facing dyslexia

• Youtube: RussellVan

What Listeners Will Learn:

• How dyslexic thinking becomes a competitive advantage in the age of AI
• Why the dyslexic brain processes information differently, and how that translates into deeper reasoning
• A practical framework for working with AI: context → problem → solution
• How to use "hero, universal theme, and villain" to sharpen thinking and guide AI more effectively
• How to perform word analysis with AI (action words, synonyms, key concepts) to get more focused outputs
• A step-by-step way to compress long AI responses into clear, structured insights
• How to generate business solutions by running context through a "universal theme lens"
• Why AI is exceptional for first drafts and why humans must still lead the final edits
• How dyslexic learners can use deep reading and repetition for breakthroughs in comprehension
• Practical strategies for teachers in the AI era: how to allow AI but still ensure authentic student work
• How non-technical users can collaborate with AI to write books, solve problems, and accelerate learning
• Real stories of professionals and students transforming their work through structured AI thinking

Resources:

• RussellVan