Dyslexia vs ADHD
No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from ADHD. In the research we hold, reading and attention difficulties come together more often than chance. Coming together is not the same as one causing the other. If it looks like attention, check reading, writing and math too.
TL;DR
- No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from ADHD. So we do not give a list of signs that sorts them.
- In the research we hold, reading and attention difficulties come together more often than chance. Coming together is not the same as one causing the other.
- A child who cannot yet read the page can look inattentive at it.
- If it looks like attention, check reading, writing and math too.
- As of September 2026, only a formal evaluation can get a US child an IEP or 504 plan. A diagnosis alone does not. If you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, get that checked too.
Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. Struggling to read says nothing about how smart your child is.
”DyslexiaCan you tell dyslexia from ADHD at home?
A child who will not settle to the work is showing you a behavior. Attention is only one of the things that produces it.
No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from ADHD. So we do not give a list of signs that sorts them.
Some say reading trouble is often mistaken for ADHD. The research we hold does not show that. It shows the two come together more often than chance.
We hold no measurement of how often one is mistaken for the other.
Can dyslexia and ADHD come together in one child?
One large twin study looked at dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD together (van Bergen and colleagues, 2025). It used Dutch twins and their brothers and sisters, tested at ages 7 and 10.
Each difficulty was set by a cut-off the study chose, not a diagnosis. In that study, a child with one was more likely than other children to have a second. Most had only one.
In that study, the genetic risks for the three partly overlapped. The study did not point to one of the three causing another. The authors name two limits. Twin studies rest on assumptions. And the tests may have been too far apart to see one cause another.
That is a finding about many children.
Coming together is not the same as one causing the other.
When more than one area is hard, we look at more than one.
Why reading trouble can look like attention trouble
When reading, writing or math still takes effort, that effort is one more job running at once. It competes with the work on the page. So a child who cannot yet read the page can look inattentive at it.
Our page on attention and focus has more.
What to check
If it looks like attention, check reading, writing and math too.
For reading, that means listening to your child read aloud.
Have hearing and vision checked too. A child who cannot hear well needs that found. So does a child who cannot see the print clearly.
You may be told to wait and see. Our position is to put support in place now, not to wait and see. No study we have tests wait-and-see as a plan for a learning difficulty. So we would not tell you to wait.
Our page on whether it is dyslexia or something else has more on reading. Our comparison guide to learning difficulties covers writing, math, movement and listening as well.
What helps
In our view, the first step is usually to work out what is hard. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first. Find the skill that is not built yet, and practice it.
Reading improves with reading instruction. If a program says puzzles, speed games or memory drills will improve schoolwork, check that claim. In our view, keep teaching the reading, and ask about the attention too.
What gets a child help at school
As of September 2026, only a formal evaluation can get a US child an IEP or 504 plan. A diagnosis alone does not. If you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, get that checked too.
When to ask for help
Each of these is a reason to ask for help on its own.
- Little change, even with steady practice and good teaching.
- Schoolwork well below what school expects.
- A teacher who raises a concern about learning.
- Extreme upset about schoolwork.
- Complete avoidance of school or learning.
- Hopelessness about learning.
- Sadness or worry that lasts.
- Significant delays in speech, language or motor development.
- A skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
Start with the teacher. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond the teacher, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. In our view, if you are worried enough to ask, a professional evaluation is worth asking about.
Any talk of hurting themselves is a same-day call to your doctor or a crisis line.
In the classroom
When a parent raises a concern, describe what you see. Do not confirm or deny a label. Give an example from the lesson, such as "She reads two lines aloud, then looks out the window."
One sentence for an email home: "When the reading gets long, he stops and looks around the room. I thought you would want to know."
Key Takeaways
No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from ADHD.
In the research we hold, reading and attention difficulties come together more often than chance. Coming together is not the same as one causing the other.
If it looks like attention, check reading, writing and math too.
In our view, the first step is usually to work out what is hard. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first.
As of September 2026, only a formal evaluation can get a US child an IEP or 504 plan. A diagnosis alone does not.
Write three short lines. What did you see? In what task? On what day? Then write one sentence you could say to the teacher. Keep it to what you saw. You are looking for what is hard.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
A set of questions you answer about what you see at home. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
A short reading and spelling practice. Each word appears letter by letter. The picture comes only once the word is complete. So guessing from the image is not available. It includes writing words from memory. That practices the spelling and the writing of a word at the same time.
Common questions from parents
How can I tell if it is dyslexia or ADHD?
No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from ADHD. So we do not give a list of signs that sorts them. A child who cannot yet read the page can look inattentive at it. If it looks like attention, check reading, writing and math too. As of September 2026, only a formal evaluation can get a US child an IEP or 504 plan. A diagnosis alone does not.
Can a child have both dyslexia and ADHD?
Yes, the two can come together in one child. Coming together is not the same as one causing the other. One large twin study looked at dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD together (van Bergen and colleagues, 2025). Each difficulty was set by a cut-off the study chose, not a diagnosis. In that study, a child with one was more likely than other children to have a second. Most had only one. That is a finding about many children. In our view, keep teaching the reading, and ask about the attention too.
Is reading trouble often mistaken for ADHD?
Some say reading trouble is often mistaken for ADHD. The research we hold does not show that. It shows the two come together more often than chance. We hold no measurement of how often one is mistaken for the other. A child who cannot yet read the page can look inattentive at it. If it looks like attention, check reading, writing and math too.
Does one cause the other?
One large twin study looked at dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD together (van Bergen and colleagues, 2025). Each difficulty was set by a cut-off the study chose, not a diagnosis. In that study, a child with one was more likely than other children to have a second. Most had only one. That is a finding about many children. The study did not point to one of the three causing another. The authors name two limits. Twin studies rest on assumptions. And the tests may have been too far apart to see one cause another. Coming together is not the same as one causing the other.
Can your screener tell me if it is ADHD?
No. Each of our free screeners is a set of questions you answer about what you see at home. We have one each for dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. No study we hold tests home signs for telling dyslexia from ADHD. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
Should we wait and see whether the attention improves?
You may be told to wait and see. Our position is to put support in place now, not to wait and see. No study we have tests wait-and-see as a plan for a learning difficulty. So we would not tell you to wait. In our view, the first step is usually to work out what is hard. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first. Find the skill that is not built yet, and practice it.