How to Read, Remember, and Focus When You Have ADHD

ADHD is a form of neurodivergence that can sometimes make reading more difficult. For both children and adults with ADHD, staying focused while reading can be difficult. It can also be challenging to comprehend and retain the information that was read.

Reading tasks may feel like they take forever, especially if you are finding that you have to read and re-read (and re-read again) to process the information accurately.

Problems with reading can be frustrating and may lead people to worry that they will fail in school or struggle in the workplace. Fortunately, there are many tried-and-true strategies to help overcome reading problems.

Reading Issues in Children With ADHD

ADHD can contribute to reading comprehension issues in children with ADHD. Since reading plays such a pivotal role in a child’s life, particularly at school, these issues can also impact a child’s grades and self-esteem.

Characteristics of ADHD that can contribute to reading issues include:

Inattention

Kids who have difficulty focusing often struggle to sustain attention while reading. They might get distracted, skip text, miss important details, and struggle to stay on task. Such challenges may be more pronounced when kids are bored or tired.

Issues With Working Memory

ADHD can lead to differences in executive function, which involves cognitive skills needed to manage different behaviors. This includes working memory, which is a temporary storage that holds information people need when engaging in a task such as reading. To comprehend and mentally manipulate information a child has read, they need to be able to store, retrieve and apply the information they have read.

Hyperactivity and Impulsivity

Kids with ADHD may also struggle to sit still for long periods of time. They may fidget and seem to be constantly in motion, which can make it harder to focus on what they are reading.

Strategies That Improve Reading Comprehension

Treatment approaches that focus on helping kids manage their ADHD traits have been found to improve reading skills. Traditional treatments typically rely on stimulant or non-stimulant medications.

Some tactics that can help boost reading comprehension for kids and adults with ADHD include:

• Try interest-based reading: People with ADHD sometimes hyperfocus on topics that they find particularly fascinating. Take advantage of this by looking for reading material aligned with those interests.
• Preview the reading material: Another tactic that can boost comprehension is previewing what you will read before you do a more thorough read-through. Reading the title, headings, subheadings, bolded text, and summaries can help people form a mental map of the material, making understanding it a bit easier.
• Engage with the text: Highlighters, sticky notes, and annotations can also help people with ADHD stay more focused on the material.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Experimenting with different strategies and being supportive can help your child figure out what reading strategies work best for them.

Reading Issues for Adults With ADHD

Adults with ADHD also face some of the same issues with reading. While research on reading issues for adults with ADHD is limited, several issues could be at play.

It is not unusual to become derailed by internal thoughts or external distractions, particularly when reading something uninteresting or downright boring. You may frequently find that you are losing your place or skipping words in longer passages because you are visually distracted by all the words on the page.

How to Remember What You Read

Try one or more of these strategies to help you stay focused and attentive so that you can remember what you’ve read. Experiment to see what helps you.

Reading Strategies

• Read aloud instead of silently. This may take longer, but it will help you to focus on each word.
• Take brief breaks for movement. Research suggests that physical activity can help people manage ADHD traits and improve cognitive functions.
• Talk about what you have just read. Discuss it with a friend, or just talk aloud to yourself.
• Divide the material into smaller, more manageable chunks. Then take a break and reward yourself after each section.
• Read it twice. Reading something a second time will not only help you better understand what you’ve read but also help you pick up any information you missed the first time around.
• Make the content personal. Think about how it relates to your likes and dislikes and personal experiences.

Tools That Can Help

• Use audiobooks or have someone read to you. This approach is especially helpful for people who learn through listening or are easily overwhelmed when faced with a page full of text.
• Opt for a hard copy. Researchers have discovered that comprehension is better when reading a physical book versus an e-book.
• Use highlighter pens to underscore main points. This will keep you focused and help you recall the main points.
• Take notes while reading, then go back and summarize the main points.
• Use a bookmark or ruler to slide down the page as you read each line, so you don’t lose your place.
• Keep a pad of paper nearby. If you get distracted by internal thoughts, jot down the thought to remember it and get back to it at a later time. Once you have jotted the thought down, set it aside for later.

How to Create the Right Environment

• Adapt your environment. Figure out what works best for you: a quiet reading area or one with some background noise.
• Walk or pace around while you read. This strategy may help you avoid zoning out or focusing on internal distractions instead of the words on the page.
• Eliminate distractions. Is your phone on silent? Is the door closed? Are you hungry? Are you too cold or too hot? Think about and eliminate any distractions that might interfere with your reading.
• Read at the right time. If you’re feeling tired or fatigued, for example, it will be that much harder to focus and absorb what you read.