What are the signs of dyslexia by age?

In kindergarten and 1st grade (ages 5-7), look for difficulty rhyming, learning letter sounds, and remembering sequences. In 2nd-3rd grade (ages 7-9), watch for slow reading, frequent guessing, and avoiding reading aloud. In 4th-6th grade (ages 9-12), signs include difficulty with comprehension, spelling, and written expression. In middle school and beyond, look for slow reading speed, difficulty with foreign languages, and avoidance of reading-heavy tasks.

My child was tested by the school and came back fine. Can they still have dyslexia?

Yes. School evaluations often use screening tools that measure broad academic skills rather than the specific phonological processing deficits that define dyslexia. Schools may also use a discrepancy model that misses children who compensate well. A private dyslexia-specific evaluation uses targeted assessments like the CTOPP-2 to measure the underlying processing skills.

Can dyslexia be cured?

Dyslexia is a neurological difference, not a disease, so it cannot be cured. However, with proper intervention using structured literacy approaches like Orton-Gillingham, children can develop strong reading skills and effective strategies. Early intervention produces the best outcomes. The brain builds new neural pathways for reading, but the underlying difference in processing remains.

What is the difference between a dyslexia screening and a full evaluation?

A screening is a quick check that identifies risk for dyslexia. It takes about 15-30 minutes and tells you whether further testing is recommended. A full evaluation is a comprehensive diagnostic assessment lasting 2-4 hours that measures phonological processing, rapid naming, reading fluency, comprehension, and more. It provides a formal diagnosis and specific recommendations for intervention and school accommodations.

What is the difference between dyslexia and ADHD?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability affecting reading, spelling, and phonological processing. ADHD is an attention disorder affecting focus, impulse control, and executive function. About 30-40% of children with dyslexia also have ADHD. The key difference: a child with ADHD can decode words but may lose focus while reading, while a child with dyslexia struggles with the actual decoding process regardless of attention.

Does my child need an IEP or a 504 plan for dyslexia?

An IEP provides specialized instruction and is appropriate when your child needs specially designed teaching methods (like Orton-Gillingham). A 504 plan provides accommodations like extended time and audiobooks but no specialized instruction. If your child needs a different way of being taught to read, push for an IEP. If they can access the curriculum with accommodations alone, a 504 may be sufficient.

How do I request a dyslexia evaluation from my school?

Submit a written request (email or letter) to your school principal or special education coordinator specifically asking for an evaluation for a suspected specific learning disability in reading. Keep a copy. The school has 60 days to respond. If they refuse, they must provide Prior Written Notice explaining why. You have the right to an Independent Educational Evaluation at the school's expense if you disagree with their findings.

How much does dyslexia testing cost?

Private dyslexia evaluations typically cost $1,500-$5,000 depending on the provider and scope. At Dyslexia Evaluations, we offer free screenings and comprehensive evaluations for $1,500. School-based evaluations are free but may not specifically test for dyslexia. Some insurance plans cover neuropsychological testing, though coverage varies.

Dyslexia vs ADHD: How to Tell the Difference

Jun 15

Written By Arran Gallagher-Krantz

Dyslexia vs ADHD: What's the Real Difference?

If your child is bright but struggling in school, you may be caught between two explanations that sound a lot alike. Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that mainly affects reading, spelling, and decoding words. ADHD affects attention, impulse control, and activity level across almost everything a child does. The simplest way to tell them apart: dyslexia shows up specifically with the written word, while ADHD shows up wherever focus is required.

The tricky part is that both can make homework a battle, both can chip away at a child's confidence, and the two often appear together. This post walks through the signs of each, how to spot the overlap, and what to do next if you're not sure which one you're looking at.

Why Dyslexia and ADHD Get Confused So Often

No parent walks into a classroom meeting describing "phonological processing." What you actually see is the everyday picture: reading is slow and painful, homework takes three times longer than it should, the teacher mentions focus, and a clearly smart kid starts saying "I'm dumb." That picture fits both conditions, which is why so many families spend a year chasing the wrong explanation.

A child with undiagnosed dyslexia can look inattentive because sounding out every word is exhausting. A child with ADHD can look like a struggling reader because they skip lines and rush. The behaviors overlap even when the cause does not. The International Dyslexia Association estimates that up to 15–20% of people show some symptoms of dyslexia — the most common learning difference — so plenty of kids land in both groups at once.

What Does Dyslexia Look Like in Children?

Dyslexia is about the input of written language — the struggle appears specifically when letters and sounds are involved. Signs that may indicate dyslexia:

Trouble connecting letters to their sounds, even after practice

Slow, effortful reading and misreading small words

Persistent phonetic spelling ("becos" for "because")

Guessing words from pictures instead of decoding

Avoiding reading out loud

A family history of reading or spelling struggles

The key clue is the mismatch: articulate and quick in conversation, but hitting a wall the moment reading is involved. Worth a closer look via a free dyslexia screening.

What Does ADHD Look Like in Children?

ADHD is about regulation across the board, not just academics. Signs that could suggest ADHD:

Difficulty focusing on most tasks, not only reading

Losing track of multi-step directions

Misplacing items, running late, underestimating time

Restlessness, fidgeting, acting before thinking

Drifting attention during chores, conversations, and play

Gut-check: does the difficulty disappear when reading is removed? If your child can focus happily on a building project but falls apart the second a book appears, dyslexia is worth investigating.

Dyslexia vs ADHD: A Side-by-Side Look

Reading — dyslexia: slow, effortful, misreads small words; ADHD: skips lines, loses place, rushes.

Spelling — dyslexia: persistent phonetic misspellings; ADHD: inconsistent, right then wrong.

Attention — dyslexia: drifts mainly during reading/writing; ADHD: drifts across most tasks.

Organization/time — dyslexia: usually age-appropriate; ADHD: late, loses items, misjudges time.

Strengths — dyslexia: strong reasoning and vocabulary; ADHD: creative, energetic, hyperfocus.

The pattern across all of them is what matters. See our full evaluations page for how the process works.

Can a Child Have Both Dyslexia and ADHD?

Yes — and this is the part parents most need to hear. They frequently travel together, and the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity notes the two co-occur far more often than chance would predict. When both are present, each can hide the other: ADHD masks dyslexia because everyone blames "not paying attention," and dyslexia masks ADHD because everyone assumes it's just reading frustration. A child can get support for attention and still struggle to read. The only reliable way to untangle this is an evaluation that looks at both. Our Q&A page answers the questions parents ask most.

What It Looks Like When It's Both: A Quick Example

Picture a bright second grader, Mia (a composite). She talks like a kid twice her age and builds elaborate block cities, but reading is a nightly battle and her teacher says she "just doesn't focus." A closer look: she focuses for an hour on building, so attention isn't failing everywhere — it collapses around print (dyslexia). Yet she also loses her place mid-sentence and forgets multi-step directions (ADHD). She's both, and each was hiding the other. Only an evaluation of reading and attention together made it clear.

When Should You Get Your Child Screened?

Consider a dyslexia screening if your child reads below grade level despite being bright, spells phonetically and inconsistently, dreads reading aloud, has a family history, calls themselves "stupid" or "lazy," or works twice as hard for half the result. You don't need to know which condition it is first — that's what screening sorts out. Screening is free; a comprehensive evaluation is $1,500. We serve families in Madison, WI and nationwide via virtual evaluations. When ready, book an evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can ADHD cause dyslexia? No — separate conditions with different mechanisms. ADHD can make reading harder by reducing focus, but doesn't create the phonological difficulty that defines dyslexia.

Will treating ADHD fix my child's reading? Not on its own. Dyslexia calls for specific, structured literacy support. If reading struggles continue after attention improves, dyslexia is likely still in the picture.

My child is smart — could it still be dyslexia? Absolutely. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence; many dyslexic kids are bright and verbal, which is why it's missed.

At what age can these be identified? Dyslexia can be screened as early as kindergarten; ADHD is often identified in early elementary years. Earlier means more effective support.

The Bottom Line

Dyslexia and ADHD can look almost identical, but they're different conditions that call for different support — and they often coexist. Stop guessing and get clarity.

Not sure if your child has dyslexia? Start with our free screening — it takes just a few minutes and could change everything.

→ Take the Free Dyslexia Screening

Arran Gallagher-Krantz

Dyslexia vs ADHD: How to Tell the Difference

Dyslexia vs ADHD: What's the Real Difference?

7 Signs of Dyslexia in First Graders Parents Miss