Dyslexia and ADHD

If reading has always felt harder than it should, or your child struggles to get words off the page despite clearly being bright, dyslexia and ADHD are two of the most common explanations, and they frequently occur together.

A structured ADHD assessment can help clarify what is driving the difficulties. Get clarity now:

ADHD Assessment

Our clinicians offer flexible assessment options to suit your schedule and preferences.

ADHD & Intellectual Disability (Learning Disability)

If your child is working hard but still falling behind, or if you have always found learning and staying focused harder than it seems to be for others, you are not alone.

ADHD and Intellectual Disability (a.k.a. learning disability in the UK) share several symptoms, which means ADHD is frequently missed in people who already have an Intellectual Disability diagnosis.

A structured ADHD assessment can help clarify what is driving the difficulties, get clarity now:

ADHD Assessment

Our clinicians offer flexible assessment options to suit your schedule and preferences.

Is There a Link Between Dyslexia and ADHD?

Dyslexia and ADHD co-occur at striking rates. Research estimates that between 25% and 40% of people with ADHD also have dyslexia, and conversely, children with dyslexia are significantly more likely to meet criteria for ADHD than those without.¹ Both are neurodevelopmental conditions, present from childhood, and both affect how the brain processes and organises information, though in different ways.

The overlap is not coincidental. Researchers have identified shared genetic factors between dyslexia and ADHD, and neuroimaging studies point to overlapping differences in frontal and parietal brain regions involved in attention and reading.² When both are present, difficulties in the classroom can be significantly compounded, and one condition is frequently missed because the other draws the clinical attention first.

Types of Specific Learning Disorders That Co-Occur With ADHD

The DSM-5 groups specific learning disorders into three domains. Each has its own presentation and its own relationship with ADHD. This page covers the full picture, with Dyslexia briefly signposted here as it has a dedicated page.

Dyslexia and ADHD

The most common SLD. Affects reading accuracy, fluency, and spelling.

Between 25–40% of people with ADHD also have dyslexia.

Both conditions impair working memory and processing speed, which is why they are so frequently found together.

Dyscalculia and ADHD

A specific difficulty with number sense, arithmetic, and mathematical reasoning; not explained by low intelligence or poor teaching.

Significantly more common in children with ADHD than in the general population.

Dysgraphia and ADHD

A specific difficulty with the physical act of writing and with translating thoughts into written language.

Closely connected to ADHD because both conditions impair the fine motor control, working memory, and executive planning that writing requires.

Dyslexia and ADHD Symptoms

Symptoms vary by age and setting. Dyslexia affects how the brain processes written language, while ADHD affects attention, activity, and impulse control across all areas of life.

Note: Every person’s experience of dyslexia and ADHD is different. The patterns below are meant to help you recognise and name what you or your child may be going through, not to replace a professional assessment.

What Are Common Dyslexia Symptoms?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that primarily affects reading, spelling, and writing fluency. It is not related to intelligence and it does not go away with effort or practice alone.

In children:

Slow and effortful reading, even after significant instruction.
Difficulty connecting letters to their sounds (phonological awareness difficulties).
Persistent spelling errors, including words spelled differently each time.
Avoidance of reading aloud or reluctance to read independently.
Difficulty remembering sequences, such as the alphabet, days of the week, or months.
Written work that does not reflect verbal ability, much stronger when speaking than when writing.

In adults:

Reading remains slow and tiring, often requiring re-reading to absorb content.
Difficulty with written communication; emails and reports take much longer than expected.
Persistent spelling difficulties despite knowing the meaning of words.
Avoidance of situations involving reading or writing in public.
Strong verbal skills that contrast noticeably with written output.
Strategies and workarounds that have masked the difficulty for years.

What Are Common ADHD Symptoms?

ADHD affects the regulation of attention, activity, and impulse control in a consistent way across all settings and moods.

In children:

Often fidgety or unable to stay seated for expected periods.
Easily distracted by background noise, movement, or thoughts.
Frequently forgets or loses track of instructions and belongings.
Rushes through tasks, leading to careless errors.
Blurts out answers or struggles to wait their turn.

In adults:

Persistent difficulty with organisation, planning, and meeting deadlines.
Frequently losing items like keys, phones, or documents.
Making impulsive decisions without fully considering consequences.
Feeling internally restless even when sitting still.
Trouble sustaining focus during long tasks or conversations.

How to Know If It Is Dyslexia, ADHD, or Both

Difficulties with reading, written work, and classroom performance can arise from dyslexia, ADHD, or a combination of both.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty affecting the accuracy and fluency of reading and spelling. It arises from differences in how the brain processes phonological information, the sounds that make up words. It is not caused by poor teaching, low effort, or low intelligence. In fact, many people with dyslexia have strong verbal reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Dyslexia is lifelong, but with the right support, its impact on daily functioning can be significantly reduced.

ADHD

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, activity levels, and impulse control. It begins in childhood and frequently continues into adulthood. ADHD does not affect reading directly, but the inattention and distractibility it produces can make reading more effortful and inconsistent, which is why it is often confused with dyslexia, and why both can be missed when only one is identified. A thorough assessment explores both possibilities.

Symptom / Behavior

ADHD symptoms

Anxiety symptoms

Difficulty reading accurately or fluently

Persistent spelling difficulties

Strong verbal skills relative to written output

Avoidance of reading and writing tasks

Difficulty following multi-step instructions

Poor organisation of written work

Forgetting instructions or losing belongings

Restlessness or difficulty sitting still

Easily distracted during reading or tasks

Inconsistent performance across settings

Emotional frustration around schoolwork

Difficulties present since early childhood

Impulsivity or acting without thinking

Seeing overlap in both columns? When both conditions are present, a child can struggle enormously in the classroom for reasons that are genuinely neurological, not a lack of effort or ability. An ADHD assessment is a clear first step toward understanding the full picture.

Dyslexia and ADHD: Understanding the Overlap

Both dyslexia and ADHD affect how the brain manages information, though at different stages of processing. Dyslexia disrupts phonological decoding, the ability to convert written symbols into sounds. ADHD disrupts the executive systems that regulate sustained attention and working memory. When both are present, every reading task requires the brain to overcome two simultaneous challenges at once.

The overlap matters clinically because one condition can mask the other. A child with significant ADHD may appear to have reading difficulties simply because they cannot sustain attention long enough to read accurately. A child with significant dyslexia may appear inattentive because the effort of reading is so exhausting that they disengage. Without assessing both carefully, the underlying driver remains unclear.

Research consistently finds that children with both dyslexia and ADHD show greater academic underachievement than those with either condition alone.¹ This makes early identification of both conditions one of the most protective things a parent or teacher can do for a child who is struggling.

Dyslexia and ADHD At School

The classroom is where both conditions tend to become most visible. Reading aloud is anxiety-provoking when words take effort to decode. Written assignments are exhausting when both spelling and focus are unreliable. A child with dyslexia and ADHD may complete far less work than their ability would suggest, not because they are not trying, but because each task costs them significantly more effort than their peers. Over time, this gap produces frustration, avoidance, and often a belief, held by the child, their teachers, or both, that they are simply not very capable.

Dyslexia and ADHD Affect on Self-Esteem and Identity

Both dyslexia and ADHD are associated with elevated rates of low self-esteem, particularly in children who go undiagnosed.³ A child who has spent years struggling with tasks that seem effortless for others often internalises that struggle as a personal failing. When both conditions are present and unidentified, the accumulated weight of that experience can be significant. Getting a diagnosis and understanding that the difficulty has a neurological basis, is often described by adults with late diagnoses as one of the most important and relieving moments of their lives.

Dyslexia and ADHD In Adulthood

Many adults with dyslexia and ADHD developed coping strategies in childhood that mask both conditions until the demands of adult life outpace them. A job that requires significant written communication, a promotion that involves managing complex projects, or parenthood that requires sustained organisation can all be the point at which earlier workarounds stop working. Adults at this point often describe a history of working much harder than peers for the same results, without ever understanding why.

How Dyslexia and ADHD Are Assessed

Because these conditions overlap significantly in how they present, a thorough assessment of both is essential for anyone struggling with reading, learning, or sustained attention.

How Dyslexia Is Assessed

Dyslexia is assessed by an educational psychologist or specialist assessor using a structured battery of tests covering reading accuracy, reading speed, phonological awareness, spelling, and working memory. The assessment looks at whether a discrepancy exists between a person’s underlying cognitive ability and their reading and writing performance. It also considers how long the difficulties have been present and rules out other explanations such as vision or hearing problems. In children, the assessment often takes place within a school setting or via referral from a GP or paediatrician.

What an ADHD Assessment Involves

An ADHD assessment examines patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity across different settings. It includes a developmental history, standardised rating scales, and a clinical interview. Because inattention can make reading and writing more difficult regardless of whether dyslexia is present, a thorough ADHD assessment will explore which difficulties are consistent across all tasks and settings and which appear specifically in the context of reading and written work. Where both are suspected, a dual assessment, or a referral for educational psychology alongside the ADHD assessment, provides the most complete picture.

Ready to Understand What Is Driving the Difficulties?

If reading, written work, and sustained attention have been sources of difficulty for as long as you can remember, or for your child, understanding whether ADHD, dyslexia, or both are involved is the most useful thing you can do next.

An ADHD assessment is a structured and practical starting point. It clarifies the attention picture and opens the door to a fuller understanding of what is making things harder.

Support for Dyslexia and ADHD

Support for Dyslexia

Dyslexia support centres on structured literacy interventions, specifically, systematic phonics-based approaches that teach the relationship between sounds and letters explicitly.

Specialist dyslexia tuition, assistive technology (text-to-speech, speech-to-text), and reasonable adjustments in school or work such as extended time for exams can significantly reduce the daily impact. Early, intensive intervention produces the best outcomes.

Managing ADHD

ADHD support improves the attention and working memory capacity that reading and writing depend on. Behavioural strategies, executive function coaching, and structured routines reduce the cognitive load of daily tasks.

Medication is one option and can be discussed with a qualified clinician. Improved ADHD management often makes literacy support more effective, because the child or adult can sustain the attention needed to benefit from it.

When Both Occur Together

When both conditions are present, support works best when it is coordinated. Dyslexia interventions are more effective when ADHD is also addressed, because sustained attention is a prerequisite for benefiting from literacy teaching.

An ADHD assessment is a practical first step that opens the door to the full support picture, including referral for educational psychology and specialist literacy support.

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Can you have both dyslexia and ADHD?

Yes, and it is very common. Research estimates that between 25% and 40% of people with ADHD also have dyslexia.¹ When both are present, academic and daily difficulties tend to be more significant than with either condition alone, which is why identifying both matters.

What is the difference between dyslexia and ADHD?

Dyslexia is a specific difficulty with reading and spelling, caused by differences in how the brain processes phonological information. ADHD is a broader condition affecting attention, impulse control, and activity levels across all areas of life. The two can look similar from the outside because both affect reading and school performance, but they require different forms of support.

Can ADHD cause reading difficulties?

Yes, indirectly. The inattention and working memory difficulties associated with ADHD can make reading effortful and inconsistent, even without dyslexia. This is why ADHD and dyslexia are often confused and why a thorough assessment is the only reliable way to distinguish them.

How do I know if my child has dyslexia, ADHD, or both?

The most reliable way is a formal assessment. An ADHD assessment explores whether attention and executive function difficulties are contributing to the struggles at school. A separate educational psychology assessment can identify dyslexia. If both are suspected, it is worth pursuing both assessments.

Does treating ADHD help with reading difficulties?

It can, significantly. When ADHD is treated, the attention and working memory improvements often make reading easier and make dyslexia interventions more effective. Treating ADHD does not treat dyslexia directly, but it removes one of the barriers that makes literacy support harder to benefit from.

At what age can both be identified?

Both can be identified in primary school age children, and screening for reading difficulties can begin as early as age five or six. If difficulties are present, early assessment is always preferable to a watch-and-wait approach, as early intervention produces better outcomes for both conditions.

Who should I speak to about both?

An ADHD assessment is a practical first step. For dyslexia, an educational psychologist can conduct a full assessment. Your GP or the school’s SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) can support referral for either or both.