Can ADHD cause problems with reading? Absolutely—and the challenges go deeper than just losing focus.
Can ADHD cause problems with reading? If you’ve felt like reading is a constant battle—where focus slips, details fade, and progress seems impossible—you’re not imagining it. ADHD changes how the brain engages with words, turning the act of reading into a real challenge.
Can ADHD Cause Problems with Reading?
ADHD doesn’t just make you feel “distracted”—it fundamentally alters the way your brain processes information. This craving makes it difficult for people with ADHD to maintain focus, absorb content, and remember details, leading to frustration and even avoidance of reading altogether.
1. Difficulty Maintaining Focus
When reading, staying focused from start to finish is crucial. However, ADHD reading makes it challenging to sustain focus, especially for extended periods.
You may find your mind wandering after only a few lines or repeatedly rereading the same paragraph without absorbing its meaning.
Imagine picking up a novel that’s universally acclaimed, yet you find yourself rereading each paragraph multiple times. Every noise, fleeting thought, or external distraction pulls your attention away, making it hard to keep the flow of the story.
This is often due to the brain’s executive function issues—a key aspect of ADHD.
2. Struggles with Working Memory
Working memory is your brain’s ability to hold information temporarily for processing. For someone with ADHD, working memory can feel like trying to hold water in a sieve.
As a result, following the storyline, remembering character names, or tracking plot developments becomes especially challenging.
Example: Reading a complex article with multiple arguments may become confusing when you can’t recall the previous paragraph. This loss of “mental place” means you’re forced to backtrack constantly, slowing down progress and comprehension.
3. Impaired Processing Speed
People with ADHD often process information more slowly than others, which means that reading can feel laborious.
Each sentence may require extra time to fully understand and integrate into the larger context, which interrupts reading flow and makes longer reading sessions more tiring.
Imagine reading through a textbook for school. Instead of quickly grasping the concepts, you find that you need to reread sections to get the full picture. This slower pace means it takes you twice as long to get through the material compared to your peers.
4. Difficulty with Visual Tracking
ADHD and reading can also affect your ability to visually track lines of text, causing you to skip lines or lose your place on the page. This can be due to the brain’s difficulty with coordination and organizing visual input in a linear way.
If you’re reading an article online, you might find yourself skipping lines unintentionally, or even reading the same line twice. This adds to the frustration and makes the reading experience feel choppy.
Strategies to Combat ADHD and Reading Challenges
While these challenges may seem daunting, there are practical methods to help manage them effectively. By understanding your brain’s needs and adjusting your approach to reading, you can improve comprehension, retention, and enjoyment of reading.
1. Break Down Reading into Short, Manageable Sessions
Trying to read for an hour or more in one sitting can be overwhelming for the ADHD brain. Instead, break your reading into shorter chunks—10- to 20-minute sessions can prevent fatigue and help you retain focus.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on just one chapter or section. After a brief break, you can return to it. This approach mimics the Pomodoro technique, which has proven effective for people with ADHD as it leverages the brain’s natural need for frequent shifts.
2. Take Notes or Use Visual Aids to Track Your Progress
Jotting down quick notes or using sticky notes in the book can help reinforce memory and comprehension. Creating mental or visual markers along the way keeps your brain engaged and serves as a reference if you lose track.
Example: If you’re reading a history book, write down key dates or events on sticky notes and place them where relevant. This active engagement with the text reinforces memory and comprehension, making it easier to recall details later.
3. Use Audiobooks and Read-Along Tools
Audiobooks are a powerful tool for people with ADHD. Listening to the text read aloud allows the brain to receive information through a different sensory input, which can enhance focus and retention.
Many platforms even offer synchronized read-along features, allowing you to read and listen simultaneously.
4. Practice Mindful Reading Techniques
Practicing mindfulness techniques while reading helps anchor your focus on the present moment. Before starting a reading session, take a few deep breaths, set an intention to be fully present, and approach the text with curiosity.
Start by setting a goal for what you want to learn from the reading. This purpose-driven approach can counteract ADHD-related tendencies to lose focus or become overwhelmed.
5. Eliminate Distractions in Your Environment
Minimize environmental distractions by creating a quiet, clutter-free reading space. Removing potential sources of distraction—like your phone or background noise—helps you stay engaged with the text.
If you’re reading at home, place your phone on airplane mode and read in a space with limited visual clutter. Using noise-canceling headphones or playing white noise can further enhance focus.
6. Engage in Physical Activities Before Reading
Physical activity stimulates dopamine production in the brain, which helps improve focus. A short walk or some stretching before a reading session can prepare your brain for sustained attention.
7. Try Visualization Techniques for Memory
For ADHD reading, visualization can be a helpful tool to recall information. Associating details from the text with vivid mental images helps strengthen your working memory.
As you read, try to create mental pictures of the content. If reading about a character in a novel, imagine their appearance, their setting, and even their voice. This engages your brain’s visual processing center, which can aid retention.
8. Use Reading Technology Aids
Consider tools like text-to-speech software or e-readers that allow you to adjust font size, background color, and other visual settings. Such modifications can reduce eye strain, improve readability, and help with visual tracking.
If you’re reading on an e-reader, increasing the font size or switching to a dyslexia-friendly font can make the text more approachable and easier to follow.
9. Create a Post-Reading Review Habit
After finishing a reading session, take five minutes to summarize what you’ve read in your own words. This review process reinforces comprehension and serves as a checkpoint for your memory.
Jot down a few bullet points in a reading journal or use an app to record your thoughts. Reviewing this recap later can help cement the material in your long-term memory.
So, can ADHD cause problems with reading? It surely does but by experimenting with these strategies and finding what works best for you, you can cultivate a relationship with reading that’s both productive and enjoyable.
