ASD/ADHD and reading issues - any ideas?

[francesthebadger]

DD 13 has just described problems they have been having with reading - not being able to recognise words they know and putting the last letter at the front of the word.

DD has always struggled with being compelled to read and has never enjoyed reading (demand avoidant features in their autistic profile) but they have a reading age of 15 years +.

I will ask school about dyslexia unless this sounds like something else? Not sure if there are any particular written language issues associated with ASD? Any ideas? TIA.

My limited understanding is that ASD can sometimes be associated with difficulties in language and communication, including reading. However, these challenges are often more related to comprehension and interpretation, rather than the mechanical aspects of reading such as recognizing words or letter order.

On the other hand, dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that primarily affects the ability to read, spell, and write. It's characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, poor spelling, and decoding abilities. The symptoms you've described, such as not being able to recognize words and reversing the order of letters, could potentially be indicative of dyslexia.

Could be worth seeing a behavioural optometrist. My DD's seeing one currently and it's been really helpful (she's got residual issues from a squint operation 5 years ago).

Thanks Both

I am interested in the answer too. Currently seeking an adult ASD diagnosis myself and noticing neurodivergent traits in my soon-to-be reception child. Both DC and I struggle to put letters together but it isn’t in the same way as with dyslexia, which is also in our wider family. I can already see my DC sort of switching off from trying to decode words, but not for a lack of interest or effort.

OP - is your DC clumsy and/or possibly hypermobile? I wonder whether an inability to track words could be at play here. Not any sort of expert but either because of muscle flexibility or brain/muscle delay? It may be worth looking up dyspraxia related reading difficulties as what used to be classed as dyspraxia can really be part of ASD.

Also I think there may have been mention of reading difficulties in the book Unmasking Autism. Sorry I can’t remember what it said exactly but it did give me a sort of “aha maybe that’s what accounts for my struggles” moment.

Thanks - not clumsy but hypermobile. Did wonder about whether issues with executive function (including working memory/sequencing skills) and/or a weak drive towards central coherence could have an impact?