An ADHD diagnosis can bring relief and much-needed clarity for families. Suddenly, your child’s challenges with attention, focus, or behavior in school make sense. But for many children, ADHD doesn’t fully explain or address all of their academic challenges, especially when it comes to reading. By understanding the connection between ADHD and reading difficulties, you can take steps to support your child, make sure they build strong reading skills, and catch up if they’re behind.
When ADHD Isn't the Whole Picture
An ADHD diagnosis can help explain why your child struggles in the classroom, but it often doesn’t address key academic outcomes and milestones. Research shows that 25-40% of children with ADHD also have a reading disorder such as dyslexia. This overlap (having two conditions at the same time) is called comorbidity. If your child has received an ADHD diagnosis, it’s important to check whether they’re also struggling with reading. If they are, comprehensive screening can help identify dyslexia or other reading and language difficulties.
Even if your child does not have a reading disability, they may have missed out on key reading skills during their early years of school, especially if they struggled to focus in class. While your school can create ADHD supports and a plan to support your child’s focus and attention, these don’t automatically include reading intervention. If your child never fully mastered foundational literacy skills, those gaps will remain, even with ADHD accommodations in place.
How Reading Issues Can Get Overlooked
ADHD assessments typically focus on attention, behavior, and executive functioning. They don’t usually include screening for reading difficulties or disorders, meaning your child could walk away with an ADHD diagnosis while their reading struggles go unnoticed.
Here’s where it gets tricky: frustration with reading can lead children to feel overwhelmed or zone out during reading tasks. This behavior can look like a problem with behavior or focus, when the true issue could be that the child can’t decode the words on the page.
At school, the response to ADHD is often behavioral support like flexible seating, extra time for assignments, or fidget tools. These are helpful, but don’t provide an academic intervention plan or close literacy gaps. Without targeted help, kids can fall further behind, making it more difficult to catch up later.
What Can You Do Now?
Parents often share concerns like:
“My son has ADHD. Now what? He’s still falling behind in reading.”
“We’re on a long wait list for services. I feel so defeated.”
“My kid was recently diagnosed with ADHD and a learning disability in reading. Any tips for working with him on his reading?”
These stories highlight why it’s so important to look beyond ADHD when a child struggles with reading. If you’re worried about your child’s reading, here are some steps you can take right away:
- Talk to your child’s teacher. Ask if your child is reading at grade level and request specific examples of their strengths and challenges. If available, ask to see their reading assessments and ask questions about the results.
- Educate yourself about the common characteristics of dyslexia. We recommend resources from the International Dyslexia Association.
- Request a screening. Schools can provide reading screenings to identify whether your child is at risk for dyslexia or other reading difficulties.
- Advocate for literacy intervention. If your child is behind, ask the school what reading supports are available and how your child can access them. If your child is more than one year behind grade level, consider an intensive intervention, like 1:1 tutoring, to help them catch up as quickly as possible.
ADHD: A Piece of the Puzzle
ADHD is one piece of a complex puzzle. It explains attention challenges, but isn’t always the full story of why your child struggles academically, especially in reading.
If your child is reading below grade level, it’s important to act as soon as possible. Even without an official diagnosis, you can still ask for screenings, support, and intervention. The earlier your child gets help, the sooner they can build the reading skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.
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