ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty focusing, can make reading frustrating, but there are tools and tips to help make reading easier and more enjoyable.
Reading can be great fun, and it has many benefits, but if you have ADHD and find it frustrating, hard to focus, remember, or comprehend what you’re reading, you’re definitely not alone. There are even avid readers, editors, and published authors who manage this condition.
ADHD is not classified as a learning disability, but its symptoms can create challenges in learning environments and make it harder to read. Here are some tips and tools to improve your reading experience.
Some common symptoms of ADHD that may make reading more challenging are:
- difficulty focusing or concentrating
- being easily distracted
- skipping words or lines and having to re-read
- difficulty sitting still
It’s also
The findings from a
A 2019 randomized clinical trial found that ADHD treatment showed better outcomes for passage comprehension, whereas fluent decoding was best supported by intensive reading intervention. So, a combination of ADHD treatment and working with a reading specialist may be best.
There are an estimated
And it’s never too late to work with a reading specialist! This can even be done online.
There are many tools that may help you with ADHD and reading, such as:
- text-to-speech software
- browser extensions that make it easy to change text size, spacing, and color
- guided reading strips or overlays to focus on one line at a time
- figdet tools such as thumb page holders or sensory bookmarks
Creating an environment and habits that help you focus while reading are also helpful.
You may want to try:
- underlining or highlighting to help organize and recall information
- reducing background noise and silencing your phone
- reading a physical copy along with an audiobook
- using a timer to read for short periods
- making sure you’re actually interested in the reading material
tips from a reading specialist“For those who have the reading skills and are working to build their capacity to actively attend for longer periods of time, annotating text can be helpful because it builds metacognition (thinking about your thinking) and holds you more accountable for your focus.
“This could mean putting notes in the margins or using sticky notes to write down questions/thoughts, making a quick drawing, writing a summarizing sentence, or even just putting an exclamation point if that part caught your attention.
“For someone in the beginning stages of practicing annotation and building their focus, they could have a self check-in after each paragraph to ensure their focus wasn’t elsewhere. Over time this could grow to checking in at the top of each new page, at the end of the chapter, etc. Setting timers for yourself (first for 5 minutes then 10 minutes, etc.) can also be helpful. Sometimes it’s easier to maintain focus when you know there’s an end in sight. Over time, these practices help build the capacity of your frontal lobe to maintain focus for longer (Your brain is a muscle, after all!).”
— Annette Therrien, reading specialist at Boston Public Schools
focus on what fascinates you“Pick a topic that interests you. Don’t force yourself to read something you’re struggling to get through. If you love poetry, read poetry. If you’re fixated on cats, read all about cats. There are no rules to reading. If thrillers hold your attention, but memoirs don’t, that’s OK.
“Try not to shame yourself for all the reading you haven’t done due to ADHD. We all absorb information differently and need to find our comfort level.”
— Samantha Costa, editor
Quotes represent individual opinions. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
one page at a time“Avoid the all-or-nothing mentality: I often don’t pick up books because I feel like I’m not making progress, so it feels pointless because I won’t finish it anyway. But reading one page is still progress, and finishing 70% of a book can still be valuable.
“I also recommend audiobooks. I sometimes find it easier to pay attention while listening, and then I can move freely, fidget, and more easily pick when to “read” based on mood and attention levels, since they’re more flexible than needing to be in sit-down situations. Seeing [an audiobook] app multiple times a day on my phone also helps. I listen to them to make certain tasks more rewarding, so they even help with my productivity on a good day.”
— Alex Prosser, editor
read outside the books“Look at what you count as ‘reading’ and consider changing the definition. Is it a book? A magazine? A news article? Reading encompasses all types of media, not just books.
“Also, consider short stories or novellas rather than full-length novels.
It might take some trial and error to find what kinds of genres and stories you’re most interested in reading. You don’t have to like what’s popular. Pick up something that fits your wants, not someone else’s.”
— Ren Dias, prevention content
ADHD can present some definite challenges when it comes to reading, but treatment for ADHD, along with a reading specialist, may help.
If you have the reading skills but want to work on your focus, retention, and frequency, then tools like annotation, sensory bookmarks, and setting short goals can help.
ADHD is a common condition, but it doesn’t have to keep you from enjoying reading. Know that every page counts and is something to be proud of.