ADHD and Dyslexia: Can You Have Both?

Short answer: Yes, you can have both. Between 2 and 4 out of 10 people with dyslexia also have ADHD.¹ They’re separate conditions: dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that affects reading,¹ while ADHD involves problems with attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that show up well beyond reading.² Because one condition can be missed when the other is present,³ it’s worth asking about both if you recognise signs of each.

Can you have ADHD and dyslexia?

Yes. Dyslexia and ADHD are different conditions, but they often occur together. Around 1 in 20 people in Australia has ADHD,⁴ while among people with dyslexia the estimate is 2 to 4 in 10.¹

The overlap shows up from the other direction too. The Australian ADHD Guideline notes that specific learning disorders often occur alongside ADHD in children,⁵ and healthdirect lists learning difficulties as something that can occur with ADHD.⁴

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects reading. It’s also called a specific learning disorder with impairment in reading, and it affects about 1 in 10 people.¹

It isn’t caused by low intelligence.¹ Queensland’s Department of Education describes specific learning disabilities as involving average or above-average intelligence together with significant difficulty in one area of learning, such as reading, writing or maths.⁶ In other words, finding reading hard isn’t a measure of how capable you are.

ADHD vs dyslexia: how they differ

The main difference is how far the difficulties reach. Dyslexia centres on reading. ADHD isn’t a reading disorder: it’s a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in early childhood,⁴ and its symptoms show up across daily life.

The American Psychiatric Association’s symptom lists include being easily distracted by unrelated things or thoughts, forgetting daily tasks such as chores and errands, fidgeting or squirming, feeling restless (in adults), talking too much and interrupting others.² ADHD also involves difficulties with executive functions such as working memory, planning, sustained attention and inhibitory control, which means stopping yourself from acting on impulse.⁵

So reading can be hard for different reasons. With dyslexia, reading itself is the difficulty. With ADHD, reading can be hard because it takes sustained attention, and the same attention problems can also affect conversations, chores and meetings.

Why one can be mistaken for the other

Some everyday struggles can come from either condition:

• Losing your place on the page. Slow, effortful reading and a wandering mind can both cause this.
• Re-reading the same paragraph. You might go back because the words didn’t sink in, or because your attention drifted halfway through.
• Putting off reading-heavy tasks. Reading can feel slow and tiring with dyslexia, and hard to stick with when you have ADHD.
• Trouble organising. It’s on healthdirect’s list of dyslexia signs for high-school-aged people,¹ and planning difficulties are part of ADHD.⁵

Neither pattern proves anything on its own, and you can have both. That’s why an assessment, not a checklist, is the way to tell them apart.

Signs of dyslexia and ADHD in adults

Dyslexia in adults

In high-school-aged people, signs listed by healthdirect include poor reading fluency, difficulty understanding what they read, a limited vocabulary and trouble organising.¹ In adult life, difficulties like these might look like:

• reading slowly, or needing to read emails, forms or reports more than once to take them in
• finding long written instructions hard to follow
• avoiding tasks that involve a lot of reading
• struggling to keep paperwork and written tasks organised

ADHD in adults

ADHD can look different in adults. Hyperactivity may ease, or show up as extreme restlessness instead.² Impulsivity can look like excessive spending, risk-taking, conflict with others, interrupting or talking excessively, while being easily distracted and forgetful in daily activities are examples of inattention.⁷ Unlike dyslexia, these difficulties don’t depend on whether reading is involved.

Getting assessed for both

Dyslexia and ADHD are assessed separately, and a diagnosis of one doesn’t rule the other in or out.

• Dyslexia: a qualified professional should make the diagnosis, usually an educational psychologist.¹
• ADHD: a doctor or other qualified clinician looks at your symptoms now and how far back they go. An adult diagnosis needs evidence that symptoms began in childhood,⁴ and the formal criteria require symptoms before age 12.² See how to get an ADHD assessment in Australia and whether a psychologist can diagnose ADHD.

Because a co-occurring condition can lead to ADHD being overlooked, or the other condition being overlooked when ADHD symptoms are present,³ tell each professional about any signs of the other. To prepare for either assessment, it can help to gather:

• old school reports, which can show what you were like as a child
• reports from any previous assessments
• examples of where things go wrong at work, study or home, and what you already do to cope

Other things can affect reading and concentration too. Not getting enough sleep, for example, can impair memory, attention and how quickly you process information,⁸ so a thorough assessment looks at the whole picture.

After a diagnosis

Each condition needs its own support. The Australian ADHD Guideline recommends that co-occurring conditions get the best-practice treatment for that condition.⁹ For ADHD, options include medicines and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which can help you develop strategies and skills.¹⁰ For dyslexia, the supports healthdirect lists are practical ones, covered in the next section. If you’re diagnosed with both, make sure everyone involved in your care knows about each condition.

Support at uni, TAFE and work

Some supports are easy to try. For dyslexia, healthdirect lists audio books, assistive technology such as speech-to-text and predictive spelling, and extra time to finish tasks.¹ If you also have ADHD, practical tools such as reminders, timers and a quieter place to work may make it easier to stay on track.

A few habits can make reading-heavy tasks easier, whatever the cause:

• ask for documents before meetings, so you’re not reading under pressure
• listen instead of reading where you can, for example with audio books or your device’s read-aloud feature
• break long reading into short blocks, with a break in between

At uni or TAFE

Under the Disability Standards for Education 2005, education providers must make reasonable adjustments for students with disability, as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act.¹¹ Contact your uni or TAFE’s disability or accessibility service early, before deadlines and exams pile up, to ask what’s available and what paperwork they need. For study strategies, see ADHD study tips and academic support.

At work

If you have a disability and an adjustment could help you at work, your employer must make it unless it would cause unjustifiable hardship.¹²¹³ Adjustments might include extra time for reading-heavy tasks, speech-to-text software or a quieter workspace. Read whether ADHD counts as a disability in Australia for how the legal definition applies, and ADHD at work for everyday strategies.

ADHD, dyslexia and neurodiversity

You might hear dyslexia and ADHD described as forms of neurodivergence. On its autism page, healthdirect notes that the term “neurodivergent” also describes people with conditions such as dyslexia and ADHD.¹⁴ If you’re wondering how ADHD itself is classified, see what kind of condition ADHD is.

Whatever words feel right to you, the practical aim is the same: understand what’s behind your difficulties, and get support that fits.

Frequently asked questions

Can you have ADHD and dyslexia at the same time?

Yes. They’re separate conditions, but they often go together: an estimated 2 to 4 in 10 people with dyslexia have ADHD as well.

What’s the difference between ADHD and dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that affects reading. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in early childhood and involves problems with attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity across daily life, not just when reading.

Is dyslexia a sign of low intelligence?

No. Low intelligence doesn’t cause dyslexia. Specific learning disabilities involve average or above-average intelligence alongside significant difficulty in one area, such as reading.

Who can diagnose dyslexia?

The diagnosis should be made by a qualified professional, usually an educational psychologist. ADHD needs its own separate assessment, so tell each professional about any signs of the other condition.

Can ADHD be mistaken for dyslexia?

It can. Losing your place, re-reading and putting off reading-heavy tasks can come from either condition, and one condition can be missed when the other is present. An assessment is the way to tell.

Can I get adjustments at uni or work?

If you have a disability, education providers must make reasonable adjustments, and employers must make adjustments that could help you unless they would cause unjustifiable hardship. Examples include audio books, speech-to-text and extra time.

Next steps

Read ADHD symptoms in adults and inattentive ADHD in adults, or start with the free ADHD self-assessment.

This article is general information only and is not medical advice. Only a qualified health professional can diagnose ADHD. ADHD GP is a private telehealth clinic staffed by AHPRA-registered Australian GPs.

Book your ADHD assessment

References

1. healthdirect (Australian Government). Dyslexia. 2024. www.healthdirect.gov.au — Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder in reading affecting about 1 in 10 people and is not due to low intelligence; it is usually diagnosed by an educational psychologist; 2 to 4 in 10 people with dyslexia also have ADHD.
2. American Psychiatric Association. What is ADHD?. 2025. www.psychiatry.org — ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children; symptoms must be present before age 12; an estimated 8.4% of children and 2.5% of adults have ADHD; listed symptoms include fidgeting, feeling restless (in adults), talking too much and forgetting daily tasks.
3. Australian ADHD Professionals Association. Australian ADHD Guideline — Chapter 2: diagnosis. 2022. adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au — Clinicians should know which conditions commonly co-occur with ADHD, as a co-occurring condition may result in a missed ADHD diagnosis, or a missed co-occurring condition when ADHD symptoms are present.
4. healthdirect (Australian Government). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 2025. www.healthdirect.gov.au — ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in early childhood; around 1 in 20 people in Australia has ADHD; it is partly genetic; an adult diagnosis requires evidence that symptoms began in childhood; learning difficulties can occur alongside it.
5. Australian ADHD Professionals Association. About ADHD (Australian ADHD Guideline). 2022. adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au — ADHD affects 6–10% of Australian children and 2–6% of adults; heritability 70–80%; symptoms begin before 12 though diagnosis may come later; 60–86% persist into adulthood; inattentive presentation most prevalent; up to 80% of adults have another mental health condition, such as depressive, bipolar, anxiety or substance use disorders, and cluster B and C personality disorders are more common; describes executive-function difficulties (working memory, planning, sustained attention, inhibitory control), brain-maturation and dopamine differences.
6. Queensland Department of Education. Learning disabilities. 2026. education.qld.gov.au — Specific learning disabilities involve average or above-average intelligence with significant difficulty in a learning area such as reading, writing or maths.
7. Healthy Male (funded by the Australian Government). Adult ADHD diagnosis in Australia: What you need to know. 2026. healthymale.org.au — In adults, impulsivity can look like excessive spending, risk-taking, conflict with others, interrupting and talking excessively; managing finances and meeting work deadlines can be difficult; some adults ‘hyperfocus’ for hours on activities that interest them, and hyperactivity can show as feeling restless and unable to relax.
8. Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Sleep deprivation. 2014. www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au — Insufficient sleep can impair memory, attention, emotional regulation and the speed of processing information; even short-term sleep deprivation can impair these functions.
9. Australian ADHD Professionals Association. Australian ADHD Guideline — summary of recommendations. 2022. adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au — Medication is the most effective treatment for core symptoms, with non-medication treatments adding support (3.1.1); diagnosing clinicians should be registered and trained in ADHD assessment (2.1.1); the diagnosis must be confirmed before starting medication (5.1.2); CBT should be offered to adults (4.2.11); stimulants are first-line for impairing adult ADHD, with heart rate, blood pressure, weight, sleep, mood and anxiety monitored during titration; co-occurring conditions get best-practice treatment.
10. healthdirect (Australian Government). Treatment for ADHD. 2025. www.healthdirect.gov.au — Stimulants are usually the first medicine prescribed; non-stimulant medicines are available for people who experience side effects; CBT can help develop strategies and skills.
11. Federal Register of Legislation. Disability Standards for Education 2005. 2005. www.legislation.gov.au — Education providers must make reasonable adjustments for students with disability, using the Disability Discrimination Act definition.
12. JobAccess (Australian Government). Guidelines for reasonable adjustment. 2026. jobaccess.gov.au — If an adjustment could help an employee with disability, the law says the employer must make it, unless it causes unjustifiable hardship.
13. Australian Human Rights Commission. Disability discrimination — employers. 2026. humanrights.gov.au — Employers must consider reasonable adjustments for a person with disability unless they impose unjustifiable hardship.
14. healthdirect (Australian Government). Autism. 2025. www.healthdirect.gov.au — The term neurodivergent also describes people with conditions such as dyslexia and ADHD; some features of autism overlap with ADHD.

Sources were last checked on 5 October 2026. See all sources used on this site on our Sources page.