Reading difficulties with ADHD and what techniques to deal with it?

[greyshirt]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. I always had reading difficulty but I couldn't tell what was wrong when I was young. My issue is this: while reading a sentence for example, I tend to skip over words or skim through words so quick without fully understanding what the word was (like I misread "similar looking words" and then I go back because the sentence didn't make sense and realize I misread). It's so difficult and would make me physically unrest if I try to slow myself down. I tend to feel that if I read slowly I will not comprehend the sentence (I say myself "working memory is volatile and when I read slow, my it already forgot what was at the beginning and I lose track"), and so I read "faster" but I tend to skip and misread words (like I said) and this leads to poor comprehension. It is also very mentally taxing for me and sometimes gives me headaches. I try to find my "tempo" but then I say, "I wouldn't complete it at this rate and it'd take forever so read faster... and faster". I am not sure if I have other underlying condition or learning disability. But I tend to have so much difficulty pacing myself while reading (when to pause, when to skim, finding right tempo, patience while reading, etc.).

Can others relate to reading difficulties similar to the one I mentioned? How do you manage it? What advice would you give me?

[Loutysonsmith]

Hi there,

I'm a 57 year old woman, diagnosed ADD aged 52. The typical catalogue of highs and lows as someone in their 50's with undiagnosed ADD...

YES!

This exactly describes one issue of mine! I remember this so clearly at school and it continues to be a problem now.

One of the side effects of this, I'm sure you can relate, is having to read and re-read written materials.... which takes time and because of ADD time blindness and perfectionist tendencies I take 3 times as long as everyone else to do something.

This was such an issue in my last job that it was part of the reason I left.

Even when I took stimulant meds it was the same.

Louise

[Mamamichl]

100% agree. I got frustrated when pleasure reading took 5 minutes per page. It took me so long to read in hs I stopped reading for fun. I’ve learned that graphic novels help and audiobooks/screen readers work too. Even with audiobooks, I have to go back sometimes, but it doesn’t affect my rsd as much.

[Betbren47]

I too had issues reading but what worked for me was to read in a room by myself in silence where my sole focus was what I was reading then I would pray Proverbs 3:5-6 and that helped me tremendous. Relying on God has helped me tremendously so much so I was able to get my masters, a dream come true for someone like myself with my reading challenges.

[teaolive]

Hi greyshirt,

I am not an expert, but I do have years of experience in teaching children to read as well as working with the ones who struggle with it. I was a special education teacher for several years in the U.S. Although retired (and just recently diagnosed ADHD 😳), I work part-time as an interventionist in a small private school. I would say that 80% of the kids I work with skip words and incorrectly read words that they skim and guess at. It's classic. In my years in public school, some were diagnosed dyslexic, some ADHD, and some nothing at all. In my own search for answers, I found a pediatric optometrist who did visual therapy for reading issues. Here is his website: drsamberne.com/ You may find some answers on his site and give you a springboard for more info elsewhere. You are certainly not alone.

Good luck,

teaolive