The Connection Between Dyslexia and ADHD: Understanding the Overlap. Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) are separate conditions which are often confused for one another and frequently overlap. It is important to understand that ADHD and Dyslexia are two distinctly different conditions. Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin. It is characterised by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition, spelling and reading decoding. ADHD is a neurobiological developmental disorder which affects a person’s ability to exert age-appropriate self-control. It is characterised by persistent patterns of inattentive, impulsive, and sometimes hyperactive behaviour, and is frequently accompanied by emotional regulation challenges.
ADHD and Dyslexia can both be inherited and often run in families. The heritability of ADHD is 77-88% and for Dyslexia, it is estimated to be between 40-60%. ADHD and Dyslexia can also co-occur together and research suggests the comorbidity between the two conditions is between 25-40%.
Dyslexic children and children with ADHD share some similar characteristics. They can both exhibit challenges with reading and with writing. Avoidance of tasks such as reading can also be seen in children with Dyslexia and ADHD. Both can also have difficulties sustaining attention. For someone with Dyslexia, the process of reading is usually effortful and this can cause fatigue. This fatigue can present as inattention and be seen as off task behaviour. However, for a child with ADHD, their difficulties with attention and sustaining focus are persistent across other settings and tasks. For a child with Dyslexia, their difficulties with attention tend to appear when literacy demands are high.
Dyslexia and ADHD are diagnosed differently. An assessment for ADHD includes a clinical interview in addition to completion of behaviour rating scales by parents and teachers. An ADHD assessment also gathers information about an individual’s strengths, mental health, educational functioning, developmental and family history. Psychometric assessment and clinical observations are also conducted as part of an ADHD evaluation. A medical examination is generally recommended as part of an ADHD evaluation. Psychologists, psychiatrists and paediatricians can diagnose ADHD. Treatment for ADHD can include pharmacological and non-pharmacological options. Paediatrician’s and psychiatrists are able to prescribe ADHD medication whilst psychologists can provide non pharmacological treatments such as individual therapy to manage symptoms.
Psychologists are able to diagnose Dyslexia. As assessment for Dyslexia involves an evaluation of literacy skills including reading, writing and spelling. It also usually contains an intellectual assessment of a child’s cognitive abilities. Relevant educational, developmental, medical and family history is also examined as part of a Dyslexia evaluation. Deficits in phonological processing usually underlie Dyslexia and as such, an assessment should contain a measure of phonological skills.
When evaluating a child or adolescent for ADHD and Dyslexia, an assessment should examine for symptoms of both conditions. This assessment can be conducted by a qualified psychologist who has expertise in both Dyslexia and ADHD evaluations. Butterfly Psychology for Kids offers a comprehensive assessment for children and adolescents between ages 6-18 years. This comprehensive evaluation examines if a child is exhibiting ADHD symptoms and if they would meet the diagnostic criteria for Dyslexia. Click here for more information.
References:
[1] DuPaul, G et al (2013). Comorbidity of LD and ADHD: Implications of DSM-5 for Assessment and Treatment. Journal of Learning Disabilities.
[1] Faraone, S.V. & Larsson, H (2019). Genetics of ADHD. Molecular Psychiatry.
[1] Source: The Dyslexia-ADHD Overlap: Why Evaluators Confuse these Conditions. www.additudemag.com
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