dyslexia and ADHD

Jan,

I have had some experience with individuals who have suffered from dyslexia and with some individuals who have suffered from ADHD. I have never encountered a child with both at the same time, but from my experiences with the two, both are vital to the ability to learn. However, a child must be able to stay alert and attentive in order to sit down and try to read. Without this control the educators, and all involved with helping your child, can’t analize your child’s dyslexia thoroughly. I don’t want you to think that I am saying one area needs more attention than the other, but in order for a child with ADHD to have the ability to actually sit down and pay attention to words in a story or a book they must have the ADHD under some control. Once a child has the ability to focus, the dyslexia can be analized and studied in greater detail. Also the child will be more likely to understand the methods of how to live with the disability of dyslexia if they can stay focused. If you were to work on the dyslexia without some control over the ADHD then you will be dealing with both problems at one time. By working with the ADHD first, one problem is basically undercontrol while more attention can be made to the dyslexia. I hope I have helped.

Stacey

Hi there,
My11yr old son has dyslexia and adhd . We first had him tested in 3rd grade and even with a 27 point discrep they would not find him eligable for services. We fought them to understand that he really ,really needed some extra help (we also had him privatly evaluated and she came up with adhd and dyslexia . The school just kept saying the only thing that would help him is medication ,and we had been VERY against that idea and even more so with them telling us the won’t budgeon sp.ed.Why won’t they except that dyslexia exists ? We had them re-test the acedemics again in fourth grade and gee somehow now they offer him some, twenty min a day 4x a week.We did try ritalin at end of fourth (At my sons request though ) and also had hired a private educational spec.to work with him (trained in linda mood-bell).In fith grade (this year) he got the BEST teacher at his school and he really likes him and with the combo of great teacher, great tutor,suportive parents,ritalin,hard work,and a doctor that rocks!How does that top it all off ? !!!
o.k so the med question,the dyslexia doesn’t go away when he takes the medicine but he does have way more focus and he slows himself way down so the mistakes are less often (because he’s focused ,he catches the mistakes better ).He now feels like he can have some success in the classroom , he used to HATE school now he kinda likes it and hes been doing so good and receiving lot’s of praise from school staff and family.It has helped us but it really needs to be a combo approach. Good luck ! Galadiel

Greetings Jan,

Dyslexia and ADHD definitely do co-exist. Dyslexia, however, just means difficulty reading but in no way identifies why there is the difficulty. So your child’s dyslexia could be as a direct result of the ADHD inattention and when attention/focus/concentration are enhanced, improvements in reading may occur. In my daughter’s case, her dyslexia stems from auditory and visual processing problems. Now that her auditory and visual processing problems are improving through appropriate therapy, it has become evident that her ADD-like symptoms are actually ADD. We will soon begin treating her ADD with meds and this will hopefully solve the last piece to her dyslexic puzzle.

Blessings, momo

The ADHD can feed into the dyslexia. ADHD or ADD can make it hard for a child to focus and stay on task while reading or practicing reading. It can make them easily distracted from what they are trying to read. I’ve seen students diagnosed with reading issues when what they really had was the inability to sit still, focus, and read.

If medication is used and it works, it can sometimes help the reading issues to be less severe. Medication, though, is a parent’s decision and not an easy one to make. Parents have undestandably strong feelings about medicaiton and you should follow yours.

In the year 2001, it seems like ADHD - ADD (symptoms like distractibility, short attention span, inattention and so on) is really quite different than traditional dyslexia (symptoms like difficulty learning to read easily and so on). Generally speaking, ADHD - ADD by itself sometimes can be temporarily reduced with the right ADHD medicine (often on a temporary basis, that is as long as the medicine works which may often be only for a few hours). The single classification of meds most often associated with the temporary reduction of ADHD - ADD symptoms is the central nervous system alerting agents/stimulants. The ADHD - ADD meds do not work for everyone.

As a generalization, traditional dyslexia is not seen as being easily treatable with any medicine. That’s my understanding.

There are some cases involving ADHD - ADD where striking temporary improvements in the ability to read and understand have been reported.

To my knowledge, I am unaware of any reports of those with traditional dyslexia responding well to any medicines at all.

It’s my understanding that the neurology behind ADHD - ADD - attention deficit is really noticeably different than the neurology behind traditional dyslexia. Different mechanisms and different areas of the brain are involved in the two conditions.

Sometimes those who diagnose ADHD and dyslexia have different standards for diagnosis and present noticeably different estimates as to the incidence of ADHD and dyslexia in the United States population. Regarding ADHD, the highest estimate I’ve heard about was an estimate of 33% of the United States population have ADHD; that figure was provided by a chiropractor doctor in the midwest who sold tapes about ADHD; the lowest figure I’ve heard about the number of people with ADHD in the United States is less than 1%). The second figure came from a very, very conservative physician.

Regarding dyslexia, I’ve heard figures given from a high of 15% to a low of 3% or less.

Medicines used to treat ADHD are good when they actually work for the person in a meaningful fashion; medicines used to treat ADHD are bad when the child or adult simply does not respond well/respond at all to the medicine.

That’s my opinion.

Best wishes.

I highly recommend that you read the book, The LCP {longchain polyunsaturated fatty acids] Connection: The Remarkable Nutritional Treatment for ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia by Dr. Jacqueline Stordy. You get buy this at amazon.com. You can also go to Dr. Stordy’s web site and get alot of information. Its drstordy.com. You’ll get a lot of great information about ADHD and it’s common occurance with dyslexia. You’ll get a great explanation of essential fatty acid deficiency and the many options for treating it. My son has been on essential fatty acids (EFAs) for about 4 months now and we have seen many positive changes.

I would also like to recommend a great way to learn to read. It’s called PhonoGraphix and it’s a most efficient way to teach children to decode the English language. Go to the web site readamerica.net and you can get lots of information. A book telling you how to teach your child to reach with this method is called Reading Reflex (also available at amazon.com). The web site can also lead you to trained tutors who can work with your child. More and more private schools for children with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia are using Phono-Graphix. I have heard more than one professional testify to the effectiveness of this method of teaching children who are having a rough time learning to read.

I also think there are lots of other nutritional treatments that can help children with ADHD and dyslexia. It takes time to sort them all out, but the essential fatty acids are probably the most important.

Good luck!

The question of whether essential fatty acids are helpful in treating ADHD is still being explored. Current research suggests that some percentage of people with ADHD may have difficulty metabolizing and storing EFAs, but it is not yet established that supplementation helps this. It certainly may, but it is not known for sure. Other studies show that the EFAs in heavy fish oils may be useful in treating bipolar illness, but again, it is not certain. Anyone whose child has a seizure disorder and is considering EFA treatment should be aware that oils used in these supplements (such as evening primrose oil) can lower the seizure threshhold. Finally, although my personal experience would be considered only weak evidence in the scientific world (because anecdotal evidence is considered to be the least reliable evidence) we had my son on EFAs (Efalex Focus) for two years with no real improvement in his ADHD or his dyspraxia. In fact, a recent neurological exam shows that his dyspraxia is more severe than it was two years ago. (Jacqueline Stordy works for the manufacturer of Efalex.)What made a difference for us (for ADHD) was stimulant medication. I offer up this information, which I gained in course of researching options for my child, just so that people can know that the jury is still out on the EFA question and that, for kids with seizure disorders, this kind of supplementation can be a problem.

Andrea

There are many EFA products that do not contain evening primrose oil.

ADHD is not a one solution-fits-all kind of problem, and EFAs are a reasonable option for people to try but it is not a quick fix—it may take 12-16 weeks to see if it’s making a difference. [my child is still on a low dose of clonidine; it does keep him from having inappropriate impulsive behavior—but his situation is complicated because he has had a kidney transplant and he’s on clonidine mostly for its anti-hypertensive properties].

If your child has excessive thirst, dry skin, or unruly hair, these are indications that they may be deficient in EFAs. My son’s thirst decreased dramatically in about 4 days after starting EFAs. His complexion and hair improved in about one month. In Dr. Stordy’s defense, she informs readers of many choices in EFA products, not just Efalex. I consulted with a prominent local nutritionist a few weeks ago to get more ideas for improving my son’s diet and evaluating nutritional supplements. She thought Efalex was the best balance of EFAs.

The speechdiet listserv for children with apraxia of speech has many success stories of children on EFAs. Some think that evening primrose oil [epo] makes their children more hyper and they use other products such as Coromega, Neuromins, and products made from a company called Nordic Naturals. They are referenced in Dr. Stordy’s book and all have web sites.

I agree that EFAs may be a reasonable option for some, although I do think it is important for people to know that the FDA recently penalized Efamol (the company that makes Efalex) for making unsupported claims about the efficacy of Efalex. That got my attention and spurred me stop spending money on a product that, at least for my child, was not doing any good. I think that people considering any potential treatment, whether it be traditional medications, supplements, herbals, or whatever, need to make their decision based on all available information and after consulting with a medical professional to understand any potential risks. If there is no potential for harm, it may make sense to give EFAs a try. The real proof of the efficacy of any kind of treatment, traditional or non-traditional, though is best demonstrated by carefully conducted double-blind studies in which particular results are replicated in a variety of settings. The problem with many ADHD treatments is that those studies are lacking, which leaves parents to make decisions without the benefit of really solid information. Having had to make those decisions myself, I think that the more information we can share, the better.

Andrea

My son has ADD, dyslexia and dysraxia. He is on Adderall and takes supplements. One of the supplements he has been taking for over a year is Omega 3, an EFA. It has a marginal, if any effect, He says he notices something very subtle with it, but indicates that it’s certainly no replacement for his ADD medication. I took Omega 3 to see if I’d notice any improvement in my distractability (I’m not on any ADD medication— I’ve just learned to cope) and have to agree with his assessment. It’s very subtle, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed anything except that I was hoping to see a difference. No luck with my distractability, but I did notice a reduction in frequency with my migraines so I still take them for that. It doesn’t seem EFAs hurt anything and could be of some of some help in ways that are unexpected.

Sorry to join this discussion late: I have nephews (identical twins), nearly 13 years old and in 7th grade, who are both dyslexic and have ADHD. The dyslexia is fairly severe. Until last year, the school system and the twins’ mom (my sister) were focused on coping with the dyslexia problem. At the end of last year, my sister decided to try putting them on low doses of adderal (sp?) to see if that might help their reading concentration. Although cause and effect are hard to measure well, at about the same time they started the adderal, their reading and reading comprehension began to dramatically improve (from 2-3 grade level to 6 grade level). Her pediatrician is uncertain whether to attribute all of this improvement to the adderal because, apparently, some dyslexic kids seem to develop coping mechanisms in their early teen years that allows them to catch up. However, the twins are still on adderal and are having their best years in school ever.

I will try to encourage my sister to respond directly to your e-mail since she clearly can offer better information and help.

Hi Jan:

Have you been to the site “www.dyslexia.com”?
This site is run by the Davis Dyslexia Association International.
Ron Davis, a severe dyslexic, wrote “Dyslexia: The Gift” after developing methods to correct the symptoms of his dyslexia.
Adults and children are having great results from his methods — at the very least, it provides a point of view which you would want to read before making decisions. Good Luck!

Well, we tried her on concerta for the ADHD and she bounced around like a rubber ball. Watching her try to go to sleep at night was like watching someone coming off of a bad high. I am ambivalent about the whole med issue…but agreed to give it a try. Don’t feel I should withhold something if there is a chance it could help her. So. Adderal is next. Anyone care to share experiences? By the way, she has started tutoring with an Orton-Gillingham tutor and after only 2 sessions we have seen some improvement. I would like to think that with proper instruction for her dyslexia that her focus will improve. Thanks for any input! Everyone has been so helpful! Jan

My son, age 9, has a learning disability that is never really called dyslexia. Let’s just say it takes a lot of work for him to decode letters. He has to work very hard on learning to read and writing, not to mention spelling. He has been making great progress since we enrolled him in a school that use Orton Gillingham and other methods to teach children who learn differently. Let me assure you this is a handsome, intelligent child, who is working hard and prospering with the special attention and understanding. Thank God. In addition to the LD we have “ADD issues”. We have tried Ritalin, Concerta and Adderal. The Ritalin tastes bad and was hard to control. (Up down and short spans) The Concerta, (longer span), made him seem like a zombie. Finally the Adderal tasted a little better, (or less taste), and after a mother friend, not our psychopharmacologist, suggested we try the very minimum dose of 5mgs in the morning only, did we find a good fit.

Very helpful imput from the teachers has been vital to finding the right dosage. They made daily charts for me and reported on mood swings and energy levels all through this process.

One other thing. Again, not recommended by our doctor, but we do not take the Adderal on weekends or holidays. My son prefers this and the Adderal is a powerful appetite suppressant. He enjoys eating on the weekends!

Best of luck and do everything you can now, it could change your child’s life and sense of self esteem. It can be expensive and demanding to be an advocate, special schools and tutors are big bucks, but I believe it is worth everything. AM