Can a Child Have Both ADHD and Dyslexia?

"He's so bright, but reading is a battle — and he can never sit still long enough to try." If that sounds familiar, you're describing two things that very often travel together.

In short

Yes — a child can absolutely have both ADHD and dyslexia at the same time, and it's common. Researchers call this co-occurrence (or comorbidity), and studies suggest that a large share of children with one of these conditions also show features of the other. Having both does not mean a child is less capable — it simply means attention and reading both need support, and a good plan addresses each clearly. With the right help, these children thrive.

Why they often go together

ADHD affects attention, impulse control and activity levels; dyslexia is a specific difficulty with accurate, fluent reading and spelling, despite typical intelligence and teaching. They are separate conditions with separate causes — but they share some overlapping foundations in the brain, especially working memory and the speed at which a child processes information. That's why one can mask or magnify the other:

• A child whose attention drifts may look like they can't read — when reading itself is the harder task.
• A child struggling to decode words may look restless or distracted — because reading drains them quickly.

Untangling which is which matters, because the support for each is different: attention strategies for ADHD, and structured, multi-sensory literacy support for dyslexia. A child with both deserves both, not one mistaken for the other.

When to seek a closer look

Consider a developmental assessment if your child shows persistent difficulty across settings (home and school) with:

• Focusing, finishing tasks, sitting still, or impulsivity beyond what's typical for their age
• Reading slowly, guessing words, mixing up letter sounds, or avoiding reading
• A noticeable gap between how capable they seem in conversation and how they perform on paper

These are signals to understand your child better — not labels to fear.

The Pinnacle way

A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an online form or checklist. Our clinicians look at the whole child, so attention and learning are assessed together rather than one being mistaken for the other. Explore how we support learning and reading alongside attention through structured, child-led therapy, and begin with a clear developmental assessment.

Trusted sources

Guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics on ADHD evaluation, which emphasises screening for co-occurring learning difficulties; WHO ICD-11 framing of attention and developmental learning disorders as distinct, sometimes co-occurring conditions.

Next step — If reading and attention both feel like a daily struggle, book a Pinnacle assessment so each can be understood and supported on its own terms.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.