Dyslexia and ADHD: Understanding the Overlap and What Parents Need to Know

If you’re a parent trying to understand why your child is struggling with reading, attention, organisation or learning in general, you might have come across two terms repeatedly: dyslexia and ADHD.

Many families arrive at my assessments wondering:

Is it dyslexia? Is it ADHD? Is it both? And how on earth do we tell the difference?

This blog will help you understand how these two conditions overlap, how they differ, and what steps you can take to get clarity.

Dyslexia and ADHD Often Appear Together, Here’s Why

Research consistently shows that dyslexia and ADHD frequently co-occur.

In fact, around 30–50 per cent of individuals with dyslexia also show traits of ADHD.

Why?

Because both involve the brain’s ability to process information efficiently but in different ways.

Dyslexia primarily affects:

• phonological processing

• reading accuracy

• reading fluency

• spelling

• working memory

• processing written language

ADHD primarily affects:

• attention control

• organisation

• impulse regulation

• focus and task-switching

• motivation and initiation

• executive function

An individual can have one, the other or both. And when both show up together, the picture becomes far more complex.

How the Two Conditions Can Look Similar

This is where people often feel confused and it’s completely understandable. Several shared behaviours can appear in both profiles:

1. Difficulty concentrating on reading tasks

Children with dyslexia may lose focus because reading is exhausting.

Children with ADHD may lose focus regardless of the text.

2. Slow work pace

Dyslexia slows down reading and writing.

ADHD slows down task initiation and sustained attention.

3. Forgetting instructions

A dyslexic child may struggle with working memory.

A child with ADHD may be distracted before the instruction lands.

4. Careless mistakes

For dyslexic children, errors often relate to language processing.

For those with ADHD, mistakes are typically attention-based.

The surface behaviour might look the same — but the underlying reasons are completely different.

Signs the Difficulty May Be Dyslexia

Parents often notice:

• strong verbal ability but weak reading or writing

• guessing words when reading

• spelling that is highly phonetic or inconsistent

• difficulty sounding out unfamiliar words

• frustration with homework

• a noticeable gap between understanding and written output

These children usually want to pay attention but reading takes so much effort that their brain tires quickly.

Signs the Difficulty May Be ADHD

Common indicators include:

• difficulty starting tasks

• losing or forgetting belongings

• inconsistent attention (hyperfocus one minute, distraction the next)

• impulsive comments or actions

• emotional overwhelm

• difficulty following routines

• rushing through work without checking

These behaviours appear across all areas of life, not just reading or writing.

When It’s Both: A More Complex Profile

Some children have both dyslexia and ADHD, meaning they face both language-processing difficulties and attention-based challenges.

Parents often describe these children as:

• bright but inconsistent

• capable yet overwhelmed

• full of ideas but unable to get them on paper

• easily frustrated by tasks that require sustained attention

They may appear unmotivated or careless, but in reality, they’re working twice as hard as everyone else and still not getting the results they deserve.

A Real Example from My Assessments

A child who worked twice as hard, but looked like they weren’t trying

One child I assessed was extremely articulate, curious and imaginative.

Teachers praised his verbal contributions but noted that he never finished classwork, rarely handed in homework, and made frequent reading mistakes.

His parents were torn:

Is it dyslexia? Is it ADHD? Or is he just distracted?

The assessment showed both:

• clear dyslexic markers in phonological processing and reading fluency

• significant executive-function challenges aligned with ADHD

This combination meant he struggled to decode words and struggled to stay focused long enough to practise reading.

Once understood, everything made sense.

Support became targeted and effective.

This is why clarity matters.

How to Get the Right Support

A dyslexia assessment tells you:

• how your child processes language

• reading and spelling strengths and weaknesses

• whether the profile meets the criteria for dyslexia

• what adaptations and support will help

An ADHD assessment tells you:

• how your child manages attention, focus and executive function

• whether behaviours meet diagnostic criteria

• strategies and support for home and school

Both assessments provide different but equally valuable information.

Some families choose to explore dyslexia first because reading and writing difficulties are the most obvious day-to-day struggle.

Others pursue both routes simultaneously.

There is no wrong order, only what is right for your child.

Why Early Clarity Matters

Without understanding what’s actually going on beneath the surface, children can begin to:

• internalise a sense of not being good enough

• mask their difficulties

• fall behind academically

• experience rising anxiety and frustration

A full, professional assessment brings relief — not labels.

It shows you how your child learns, where they shine, and how to support them.

If you’re noticing signs of dyslexia, ADHD or both, trust your instincts.

You know your child best.

A calmer, clearer future starts with understanding what’s really going on.

If you’d like to explore dyslexia assessments or find out more about how I work with families, you can visit my website:

👉 www.thisisdyslexia.co.uk

You don’t have to unravel this alone.