ADHD and Dyslexia Reading Strategies That Actually Work

Reading feels impossible when your brain works differently. If you have both ADHD and dyslexia, the challenge doubles: your eyes struggle with letters, your attention jumps around, and frustration builds fast.

The good news? You're not broken. You just need strategies designed for how your brain actually works.

This guide shares practical ADHD and dyslexia reading strategies that real people use to read more, understand better, and feel less stuck. Whether you're a student, parent, or teacher, you'll find concrete steps to try today.

Use a Specialist Font to Reduce Visual Stress

Dyslexic readers often find standard fonts exhausting. Letters blur together, lines seem to move, and reading takes three times longer than it should.

OpenDyslexic font was designed specifically for dyslexic readers. Each letter has a unique shape, preventing the reversals and confusion that make reading harder. The letters are heavier at the base, which helps your eyes anchor to each word.

When you pair a dyslexia-friendly font with your existing ADHD management strategies, reading becomes less of a battle. Your eyes don't have to work as hard, so your attention can focus on meaning instead of decoding letters.

Install Dyslexly, a free Chrome extension that applies OpenDyslexic font instantly to any website. You can also adjust letter and line spacing to suit your needs, making every page on the internet easier to read.

Apply Colour Overlays to Ease Eye Strain

Many people with dyslexia see text shimmer, blur, or appear to move on the page. This happens because of how your visual system processes letters. Adding colour can actually stabilise what you see.

Colour overlays work by reducing the contrast between text and background. Try these options:

• Light blue or light yellow overlays are gentle on the eyes
• Avoid bright colours that increase contrast
• Different colours work for different people, so experiment
• Use overlays when reading for more than 10 minutes

For ADHD readers, colour overlays also help with focus. When the page feels calmer, your attention naturally stays put longer. Fewer visual distractions means fewer reasons for your mind to wander.

Most digital reading tools now include colour overlay features. Dyslexly offers a range of colour options that you can toggle on and off, letting you find what works for your eyes and your focus level on any given day.

Break Reading into Smaller Time Chunks

With ADHD, sitting still for 30 minutes is unrealistic. With dyslexia, reading 30 minutes is exhausting. Combined, they mean most traditional reading sessions end in failure and frustration.

Instead, use the Pomodoro technique adapted for neurodivergent readers:

1. Read for 8-12 minutes
2. Take a 3-5 minute break to move, stretch, or look away
3. Repeat three times
4. Take a longer 15-minute break

This works because both ADHD and dyslexia benefit from breaks. Your ADHD brain gets to move and reset focus. Your dyslexic eyes get relief from the strain of decoding text. Together, three focused bursts cover more ground than one frustrated 30-minute session.

Track your sessions with a simple tally or a phone timer. Seeing progress (even if it's just four short sessions) builds confidence and motivation.

Use Text-to-Speech to Reinforce Understanding

Listening to text being read aloud activates different parts of your brain than reading alone. For people with both ADHD and dyslexia, this is powerful.

Text-to-speech helps because:

• Your eyes don't have to decode every letter
• Your ears keep your attention on the story or information
• You hear the rhythm and pacing of language
• You can follow along while listening, reinforcing comprehension
• Many ADHD brains focus better with audio input

When reading feels impossible, or when you've already read something and want to check understanding, switch to audio. Libraries offer audiobooks. Many websites now include text-to-speech buttons. Upgrade to Dyslexly Premium to access high-quality text-to-speech on any webpage, letting you hear content aloud while you follow along with the dyslexia-friendly font.

Combining listening with reading actually improves retention for dyslexic readers. Your brain gets the information twice, through two different channels.

Create a Distraction-Free Reading Space

ADHD brains are highly sensitive to environmental stimuli. Add visual or auditory distractions, and your attention scatters instantly.

Optimise your reading space:

• Choose a quiet corner away from movement
• Turn off phone notifications (or use Do Not Disturb mode)
• Close browser tabs and apps you don't need
• Use noise-cancelling headphones if background sound bothers you
• Make sure lighting is bright enough to read comfortably, but not so bright it causes glare
• Keep only the reading material visible

For digital reading, use full-screen mode or a dedicated reader app. Fewer visual elements mean fewer reasons for ADHD to hijack your attention.

Dyslexly includes a line focus feature that isolates the line you're reading, blocking out visual noise from the rest of the page. This dual approach, combining a focused space with focused digital tools, helps both your eyes and your attention stay on track.

Preview Text Before Deep Reading

ADHD brains struggle with unstructured information. Dyslexic readers need extra processing time. Together, jumping into a dense article or chapter is overwhelming.

Skip the shock with previewing:

1. Read the title and headings first
2. Look at any images or diagrams
3. Read the first sentence of each paragraph
4. Notice how long the text actually is
5. Then read normally, already knowing the structure

This gives your ADHD brain a roadmap, reducing the mental load. Your dyslexic eyes don't have to process new information while simultaneously decoding unfamiliar text. You've already scaffolded understanding.

For longer texts, read the summary or abstract first. This primes your brain, making the detailed reading feel less chaotic.

Practice Consistent Reading Habits

Reading feels hard when you only do it occasionally. Muscles strengthen through regular use, and reading skills improve the same way.

Start small and build consistency:

• Read for 10 minutes daily instead of 60 minutes once a week
• Choose material you actually care about, not what you think you should read
• Track what you've read (even short articles count)
• Celebrate finishing anything, no matter the length
• Adjust your strategies based on what works on each day

ADHD and dyslexia both affect executive function. Building routines takes away the decision fatigue of where, when, and how to read. Once reading becomes automatic, your brain can focus on meaning instead of process.

Conclusion

ADHD and dyslexia reading strategies work best when they address both challenges at once. You need tools that reduce visual confusion, support attention, and respect how your brain actually works. Font changes, colour overlays, shorter sessions, and audio support stack together to make reading feel possible again. The goal isn't to read like someone else. It's to read in a way that works for you, building skills and confidence over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can ADHD and dyslexia be present at the same time? Yes, many people have both conditions. They often co-occur because both relate to differences in how the brain processes information. Having both means reading is extra challenging, but the same strategies can help with both difficulties.

Will using text-to-speech make my reading worse? No. Research shows that listening while following along actually improves comprehension and helps dyslexic readers learn. It's not cheating, it's using a tool that matches how your brain works best.

How long does it take to see improvement with these strategies? Many people notice a difference within a few days of using a dyslexia-friendly font or colour overlay. Confidence and speed improve over weeks and months as you build consistent reading habits. Don't expect overnight change, but do expect steady progress.

Do I need special software or can I just use my browser? You can use built-in browser features like text size and dark mode, but they don't address dyslexic reading specifically. A free extension like Dyslexly provides targeted tools designed for dyslexic readers on every website you visit, without needing different programs for different tasks.

Which strategy should I try first? Start with font and colour changes since they require no behaviour change, just installation. Once you see how much they help, add time chunking and text-to-speech. Build your toolkit gradually rather than trying everything at once.