I’m often asked, “What is the difference between the learning difficulties seen in a child with an attention disorder and those seen in a child with a specific learning disorder like dyslexia?”

This is a tough question because the learning challenges brought on by an attention disorder can often seem to be the same as those caused by a specific learning disorder.  Over the years, I have discovered some very specific differences as have others in my field.

Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that is diagnosed based on a specific group of skill deficits and not test scores.  Over ten years of strong research shows that children with dyslexia struggle to understand and use each sound in spoken words resulting in these difficulties:

1. Struggles to sound-out words accurately
2. Reading errors include many mispronunciations and substitutions
3. Read text slowly, hesitantly, often word-by-word
4. Spelling in written work is extremely poor

Spelling is often the most telling: Even after studying hours and hours and making a good grade on the weekly spelling test, the child with dyslexia struggles to spell words correctly and consistently within his written work: his spelling is often way off base and cannot be easily read. For example, within the same passage, the word vacation might be spelled multiple ways including “vustin”, “thasn”, or any other odd combination of letters.  In contrast, the child who is not dyslexic may consistently spell vacation phonetically (how it sounds) as in “vakashun.”

In contrast, the child with an attention challenge may struggle with reading and spelling but her errors are quite different and may include any or all of these:

1. Omits and adds words when reading
2. Loses place when reading
3. Substitutes words with similar meanings based on context
4. Repeats phrases and self-corrects
5. “Uneven” reading fluency
6. Inconsistent reading comprehension
   • Details
   • Cause/effect
   • Predicting outcomes
   • Drawing conclusions
   • Inferring
7. Spelling errors are mostly phonetic (spell words the way they sound).
8. “Over-applies” spelling rules recently learned.

In addition to these challenges with reading and spelling, students with ADD/ADHD also struggle with written expression and math.

Children with attention challenges often have these written expression difficulties:

• Transition words are used rarely or inconsistently.
• Verb tense and noun tense is inconsistent.
• May use few or incorrect modifiers
• Poor organization limits expression of creative ideas

In math, the child with attention challenges may struggle with:

• Inconsistent application of multiple step math procedures for regrouping (carrying and borrowing)
• Inconsistent problem solving
• Trouble completing all steps in multiple step word problems
• Inconsistent reasoning with time and money
• Trouble recalling procedures for higher level math such as algebra and calculus.

The good news is there are very specific ways to address the learning needs of the child or teen with ADHD: these suggestions are outlined in the next chapter.

Need help identifying your child/teen’s needs?  Call 817.421.8780 to learn about our assessments and educational consultations.

(c) 2009- 2012, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.