Reading with ADHD Lila Jane Long

Reading with ADHD

Lila Jane Long

Children with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have varied challenges with reading and their disorder should not be conflated with other learning disorders, like dyslexia, that hinder reading ability. By examining the cognitive factors used during reading by children with ADHD, studies are able to separate singular word reading ability (a deficit for dyslexia) from overall reading ability. Even when word reading ability is controlled, children with ADHD have difficulty building a coherent mental representation, and this difficulty is likely related to deficits in working memory. Although not leading deficits for ADHD, both difficulty with listening comprehension and with reading have been exhibited in this diagnosis, which further hinders the academic success of many children with ADHD. Thus, children with ADHD should be supplemented in their reading instruction. ADHD also causes coding problems which can further difficulty with comprehension. This makes it difficult to identify where the inhibited reading comprehension originates. Overall, when a child with ADHD is reading they should focus on their understanding of the text as a whole as well as their ability to recall the central information.