"For years, I blamed every mistake and every reread on ADHD," says Emma, 37. "I never suspected dyslexia could be at play."

If this sounds familiar, you’re far from alone.

Recent research suggests that up to 40% of adults with ADHD also have dyslexia, yet many remain unaware they are managing both conditions simultaneously. ¹

This hidden double-diagnosis can lead to years of confusion, self-doubt, and unnecessary treatments.

Clinicians call this “diagnostic masking”: ADHD symptoms (poor focus, restlessness) overshadow the often-subtle signs of dyslexia.

We are happy to share insights from two leading neurodiversity experts on this important topic.

Dr. Elena Moretti is a cognitive neuroscientist specializing in adult reading disorders, and Dr. Samuel Pierce is a clinical neuropsychologist.

"The overlap between ADHD and dyslexia can make diagnosis challenging. ADHD symptoms often mask the signs of dyslexia, a phenomenon known as ‘diagnostic masking.’

I often see adults whose reading and writing struggles are chalked up to ADHD, when in fact the root cause is language processing difficulties.

Whatever form it takes in daily life, I understand how frustrating and discouraging it can be,” says Dr. Moretti.

The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity — one of the world’s leading authorities on reading science — estimates that dyslexia affects roughly 20% of the population.
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‍In other words, 1 in 5 people have dyslexia, making it the most common neuro-cognitive learning difference. ²

What’s important to know is that dyslexia isn’t just “seeing letters backwards”.

It’s a spectrum, ranging from very mild difficulty with reading or memory — all the way to more noticeable challenges.

For adults already diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia is even more likely to go unnoticed because symptoms overlap.

They may keep struggling with reading and writing in ways that ADHD alone cannot explain.

Living with undiagnosed dyslexia can be exhausting — mentally and emotionally.
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Because of this mismatch, adults often think “something is wrong with me” — they try ADHD strategies, but the reading and writing problems don’t go away.

Many feel “not smart enough,” even though the real issue — dyslexia — was never identified.

"This is why I’m committed to helping adults clearly identify whether dyslexia is part of their story.

Recognition is the key that unlocks the right tools and support,” says Dr. Moretti.

Many high-achieving adults quietly engineer brilliant workarounds that mask their dyslexia for decades.

They sidestep reading-heavy tasks, lean hard on voice notes, or spend far more time decoding written information than anyone around them.

To friends or coworkers, this often looks like classic ADHD procrastination.

Undiagnosed dyslexics are frequently mislabeled as “lazy,” “careless,” or even “not smart.”

According to Dr. Samuel Pierce, things get even trickier:

‍both ADHD and dyslexia can tangle up working memory, organization, and task completion.

Because these symptoms overlap so closely, adults naturally blame attention issues for struggles.

In fact, many adults who have undiagnosed dyslexia develop subtle — and often exhausting — ways to compensate without realizing it.

These strategies help them “get by,” but they also hide the true source of their struggles:

🔴 Rereading and rewriting everything multiple times
🔴 Avoiding reading-heavy tasks
🔴 Working late or in secret so no one sees how long reading actually takes
🔴 Delegating emails or documents to others whenever possible
🔴 Choosing jobs below their intellectual potential

And the backstory matters. Countless adults only discovered their ADHD because their child was being evaluated.

Their own symptoms had gone unnoticed for decades.

Dyslexia screening typically happens in the early school years. Yet an estimated 80% of people with dyslexia never receive a diagnosis in childhood. ⁴

This means that adults who masked their reading difficulties as children may have completely missed the critical window for identification.

Such missed early detection is a key factor in why so many adults go undiagnosed:

“What people truly need,” both experts agree, “is a clear and fast science-backed way to understand how their brain processes reading, language, and memory.”

“Treating ADHD and dyslexia as interconnected – not separate – conditions is key,” says Dr. Moretti.

For those who’ve spent years wondering why ADHD treatments only partially helped, screening dyslexia could provide the missing piece of the puzzle.

A well-designed online test can be just as informative as an in-person evaluation.

And for many adults,  it’s even more accurate because they complete it in their own familiar environment.

The best part is that taking an assessment from home removes the biggest barriers:

no travel, no scheduling issues, less performance pressure — and results that often reflect real-life patterns more reliably.

“Whether you’re 35 or 65, I recommend starting with a quick, confidential Dyslexia Self-Assessment Quiz,” Dr. Moretti says.

It evaluates your reading habits, memory patterns, and processing tendencies, then generates a personalized Dyslexia Profile Report.

‍The report includes:

🟢 A score showing your likelihood of dyslexia
🟢 A breakdown of reading, memory, and processing patterns
🟢 Simple explanations for why certain tasks feel harder
🟢 Easy, practical tips to support weaker areas and build on your strengths

“Most people are surprised by how accurate it is.”

“In my work, I’ve seen adults make real progress once they understand their results and make small changes.

They start using text-to-speech tools, organizing their tasks differently, or trying new effective reading strategies.”

”Everyone with dyslexia experiences the condition differently, but with the right support, people with the condition can perform just as well as those without it.

The improvements can be remarkable,” Dr. Pierce adds.

And gaining that clarity and support takes less than 6 minutes.
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