Whatever you write, make it interesting, if you can't make it compelling. I'm blessed with being able to write in a compelling way, and that was very helpful in getting a dx because it made the specialist actually read through the end and get involved in the text - and these two are your goals.
What makes text interesting/compelling?
- Re-read it several times to remove anything that can be removed without blurring the essential message. Write concisely - better less than more. This doesn't mean keep the total length brief; you can write a whole book - as long as you keep it interesting, length doesn't matter. Who knows, you might get the next Literature Nobel Prize for your "how to talk to parents about AS" book.
- Place the attention-grabbing words at the start of the sentence rather than at the end.
- Nouns and verbs rather than adjectives and adverbs. Use adjs and advbs only when you can't find a powerful enough noun or verb to convey the meaning. Lots of adjs and advbs make it boring.
- Again, leave out anything that's not necessary to convey the essential point. I can't stress this enough.
- Paragraphs! A mass of words and sentences is boring and confusing. Tidy your text in neat boxes of related stuff (paragraphs).
- Sub-titles and bullets where applicable.
- A paragraph should start with a premise, continue with evidence and end with a conclusion (this can be done even in just 3 sentences).
- Use examples and expressions that they can relate to easily from their own world (eg better use little jargon such as "stimming", "ToM", "eye contact", "non-verbal", etc. It's not from their world, so it can cause defensive boredom.)
- Make it dramatic. People are impacted by drama. See the difference here:
After a couple weeks, I was lucky enough to have the priviledge of her wanting to go to bed with me. She was even eager. or:
"Take me to bed!" she begged on our 3rd night out.
The first is only informative; the second arouses an emotion, which is a lot more effective in keeping their attention.
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There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats - Albert Schweitzer
