Dyslexia and ADHD are different things. One mainly affects how people process written language; the other affects attention, activity and impulse control. Yet they show up in the same person often enough that it’s worth understanding how they connect, especially if you manage people or are trying to make sense of your own profile.
What dyslexia is
The British Dyslexia Association describes dyslexia as a set of processing difficulties that affect learning to read and spell. The NHS adds that it can also affect understanding and remembering information, using numbers, and planning and organising. It does not affect intelligence.
Plenty of dyslexic people describe strengths in big-picture thinking, problem-solving and verbal communication, though these vary from person to person. Our page on dyslexia in the workplace looks at both sides, and our history of dyslexia explains how thinking about it has changed.
What ADHD is
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, activity levels and impulse control. The NHS notes that signs usually start before the age of 12. For many adults it goes unrecognised for years.
At work, ADHD can bring energy, creativity and the ability to focus intensely on interesting problems. The barriers tend to come from environments built around long, unbroken stretches of routine work. See ADHD in the workplace for more.
How often they occur together
Both conditions are well known for appearing alongside others. The British Dyslexia Association says dyslexia frequently co-occurs with ADHD, as well as with developmental language disorder, dyscalculia and developmental coordination disorder. From the other direction, the NHS guide to ADHD says people with ADHD may have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Why they get confused
Some traits overlap. Both can involve differences in working memory, organisation and time management, and both can make long reading tasks hard going. The reasons differ, though. A dyslexic person might lose focus on a dense report because decoding the text takes a lot of effort. A person with ADHD might lose focus on the same report because it isn’t stimulating enough to hold their attention.
That difference matters for support. Text-to-speech software might transform the first person’s day and do little for the second, who might benefit more from breaking the task into short sprints. A proper assessment helps untangle what’s going on, and so does a simple conversation about what the person finds hard and why.
What the research says
Researchers are still working out why the two so often appear together. The NHS says ADHD may be caused by genetic differences and often runs in families. Beyond that, the honest answer is that the picture is incomplete, and the overlap isn’t fully explained yet.
Practical support at work
Support works best when it’s built around the individual rather than the diagnosis. Some adjustments that often help people with either or both:
- Assistive technology such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text and mind-mapping tools
- Information in more than one format, for example a short call plus a written summary
- Clear priorities and deadlines broken into smaller steps
- Quieter spaces for focused work
- Extra time for reading-heavy tasks and assessments
Our free dyslexia style guide shows how to make written documents easier for everyone to read.
How Enna can help
Employers who want managers to recognise these overlaps, rather than guess, can start with our Neurodiversity 101 workshop. For an individual who needs tailored support, a workplace needs assessment pins down the adjustments that will make a real difference, and workplace coaching helps put strategies into practice. Book a call to discuss what your organisation needs.
Dyslexic, ADHD or both and job hunting? Find roles with inclusive employers on the Enna jobs board.
