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Originally Posted by chaotic13
Hello all,
I am sending out a quick query to my fellow ADHD sufferers. I am looking for any quality resources and research that specifically addresses reading skill acquisition and comprehension and ADHD.
I remember having a lot of trouble with learning to read/spell as a child. Not sure if this was just plain stupidity or part of the ADHD thing. I still do not have very good phonic/word attack skills. I certainly had trouble with keeping my eyes and mind focused as I read, affecting reading fluency and ultimately comprehension. I never really noticed how challenging reading was for me until I started taking Adderall. The medication has definately improved my focus and comprehension. The phonics skills---well luckily I've tried to learn these along with my children.  (Not sure where I was when the... silent e at the end of a word, usually makes the middle vowel sound long... concept was presented, LOL).
Anyway, I am not a reading specialist so I don't know 1) if these are two separate reading issues, 2) if one or both is common in ADHD patients, and 3) if there are specific reading techniques designed to help ADHD sufferers in acquiring the phonic skills or aid in focusing/fluency without medication.
If you've seen anything while doing your own review of literature please share it here. Also, if you've personally had similar issues with reading I would be interested in how you overcame them.
In my case, I tend to rely on word recognition (memorization) and context to figure out an unfamilar words. Luckily now computerize thesaurses and spellcheckers enable me to expanded my written vocabulary. If I need to speak an unfamilar word, I usually have to look it up and use the pronuciation key to figure out how to say it. I really like the online dictionaries that offer an audio pronuciation feature. Unfortunately, these methods work for me as a professional, but are considered by teachers as cheating. I'm looking for ways to assist my youngest who is struggling a little bit.
Thank you |
I used to have a much harder time with staying focused while reading than I do now. Skipping paragraphs, reading and re-reading sentences repeatedly, and not following through the reading until the very end. This became a huge problem when it came to college-level coursework. It also affects writing of course. I have been able to overcome most of that over a two year period of time (which was only after I started taking medication for ADHD). I always carry a grammar book to help with writing for assignments and such. I have dictionaries and a thesaurus with me, which I carry with me on campus if needed. I use the online dictionaries a lot, and every single word I don't understand or don't quite get how to spell I look up.
There is a program called
Kurzweil 3000 that provides software for all ages (adults too) and different types. I think it is expensive if your school doesn't have a program for paying for it though. I have a trial version that I experimented with, and it's not bad from what I can tell. I haven't played with it very much, so I can't evaluate if it would make a huge difference for me. I might try it again next semester. Is your child enrolled in an IEP (Individual Education Plan)? Those came along too late for me, so I don't know if they are really great or not. My personal experience in elementary and middle schools were that the special programming they had was usually only designed to gear students with LD or ADHD or whatever toward certain occupations, instead of helping them to excel--but maybe it is different now. As I understand it, IEP's are now mandatory for students discovered to have academic problems related to disability, ADHD, and health issues, and that the state/school pays for their implementation.
Does he have ADHD and/or a specific LD? Has he been tested for dyslexia and other learning disabilities? The other thing to look into is if he has a hearing and/or speech problem. I had speech difficulties that were related to my inability to pay attention (which also meant I didn't listen). I went to speech therapy in grade school, and that really helped. Sometimes it might be due to lack of interest... maybe something can your son so fired up about his reading topic that he is able to be engaged and enjoy reading about it?