Dyslexia or Attention Disorder? Understanding the Difference to Better Support Your Child
When your child struggles—and you don’t know why
It’s 6:30 p.m. You’re finally home from work, making dinner, and your 9-year-old is spiraling into frustration over their homework. Again. It’s not that they didn’t try. It’s that something isn’t clicking—and as a parent, you feel helpless watching them suffer, night after night.
Many parents in this situation ask themselves the same question: Is it dyslexia? Or is it a problem with attention? The symptoms often overlap—difficulty staying focused, reading comprehension issues, resistance to written tasks—but the causes, and therefore the strategies to help, can be very different. Let’s unravel the differences together, and most importantly, talk about what you can do next.
Dyslexia: When reading becomes a puzzle
Dyslexia is a specific learning difference that affects reading and writing. It's not about intelligence or effort. It's neurological—meaning your child’s brain processes language in a different way. A child with dyslexia may:
- Struggle to connect letters with sounds
- Read slowly or guess at words
- Avoid reading aloud
- Have poor spelling, despite repeated exposure
Reading for them isn’t just challenging—it can be exhausting. Here’s a deeper look at how to rethink your child’s reading at home.
But here’s what often throws parents off: a dyslexic child may also appear inattentive. Of course they do—they’re using so much brain power trying to decode each word that they can’t focus on the bigger picture of the lesson. In those moments, it may look like an attention problem…but it’s not. It’s cognitive overload.
Attention challenges: A different kind of hurdle
Now, let’s talk about ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), or attention-related difficulties more broadly. These children struggle not because words don’t make sense, but because their brain has trouble regulating focus, impulse control, or hyperactivity. A child with attention difficulties might:
- Be easily distracted or forget instructions
- Start tasks but never finish
- Fidget constantly or act impulsively
- Make careless mistakes—not due to understanding, but due to lack of sustained attention
This is not a matter of willpower. These children often want to do well. They try—but their brains make it harder to control attention and stay engaged, especially on repetitive tasks like worksheets or reading assignments. If you're seeing this pattern, it might be time to talk with a teacher or pediatrician about a formal evaluation.
When it’s both: The confusing middle ground
Here’s where it gets tricky. Some children struggle with both dyslexia and attention regulation issues. In fact, studies show that the overlap is more common than people think. And when the two coexist, school can be particularly challenging.
Imagine trying to read a paragraph when your brain doesn’t process letters easily—and simultaneously having trouble focusing long enough to finish the paragraph. That’s the reality for many bright, creative children who get mislabeled as lazy or unmotivated.
What does help look like?
The most important step forward is clarity. A diagnosis—whether it's dyslexia, ADHD, both, or neither—can open the door to targeted support. But along the way, your child needs the one thing you’re already providing: love, advocacy, and calm presence amid the storm.
Practical support will vary depending on your child’s profile. For dyslexia, audio support can be life-changing. Letting your child listen to their lessons—on car rides, during breakfast, or before bed—can reduce emotional resistance to learning. When kids hear information instead of straining to read it, it builds access. No shame. Just learning.
Apps like Skuli (available on both iOS and Android) allow you to transform written lessons into interactive audio adventures, where your child becomes the hero of the story—reinforcing content without the reading load and while keeping an easily-distracted mind actively engaged.
For kids grappling more with attention than dyslexia, transformation and novelty are key. Instead of another worksheet, imagine turning today’s lesson into a personalized 20-question quiz that gently challenges your child—with visuals and sounds that hold their focus. Motivation increases. Frustration decreases.
Changing the emotional script
Far too often, kids internalize struggles in the classroom as a personal failure. They see their peers grasping material easily while they “zone out” or stumble over a sentence. You can help rewrite that script.
Normalize who they are. “Yes, your brain learns differently. And that’s okay.” Celebrate the grit they show every day. Focus on strengths. A child with dyslexia might have a remarkable memory for storytelling. A child with attention difficulties might build complicated Lego creations for hours. Start noticing—and naming—their gifts.
And know this: it’s okay to lean on tools, technologies and resources. For example, audio tools and games can drastically shift the learning experience for a child struggling with text. Even spelling, often a sore spot for dyslexic learners, can be approached through fun and movement-based activities—here’s how.
Start with compassion, continue with strategy
If I could sit across from you on your kitchen table tonight, I’d tell you this: You're not failing your child. You're seeking to understand them more deeply—and that’s the beginning of everything good.
Whether your child faces dyslexia, attention problems, both, or simply a different pace of learning—support is out there. With the right combination of heart, tools, and time, they can flourish in their learning journey. And so can you.