Hi all

long time no speak ;)
My problem (big list, but only the one for now), I have a lot of trouble with reading and absorbing information.

I have had this problem all my life, being an ADDer that is no surprise, but it really knocks my self esteem, I gave up trying to read books at an early age of around 11/12 yrs old, because I just can't take in the information, especially if its technical, so I just give up and end up feeling depressed cos it makes me think that I am an idiot/stupid - because I can't retain the information.

I really want to conquer this, I know I ain't totally stupid and wonder what you other ADDers do to get over this obstacle.

I have the same problem with technical stuff unless I'm really *into* something.

Generally I tend to pick up informatin easily, but when I am not interested in a subject or find a text tedious to read then it's nigh-on impossible for me to get through a technical/scientific text.

As a kid I used to read through encyclopaedias and stuff and kinda built up a good general knowledge, later on when I was *into* something (like the history of nuclear physics, Woody Allen films etc.) then I'd build up a sizeable knowledge of the subject just from casually reading about it, but I couldn't do the same when I was "forced" to read about a certain subject.

I also read lots of books but again only ones that interest me. When I was 14 I wanted to read Shakespeare and I really enjoyed it (it was in English and German - my mother tongue) but when we had to read a simple book for school that I didn't enjoy then there was NO WAY I'd get into the thing! In foreign languages we often had to read simplified versions which tend to be VERY dull (so no way I'd get *into* them).

What I did for revising stuff was to take very small bites of a text we had to read, read it until I *got* it and then summarise it on a sheet of paper. I also tended to shop around for text books, I struggled with physics so I ended up looking around until I found a text book that illustrated things in a way I could understand, and used it in addition to the materials we were provided with.

If you're talking about reading literary texts for college/uni, then there are often annotated versions that you can buy, where you already get summaries of chapters etc.

I do English Literature which as u can imagine requires reding books!! Well i have the same problem as you and cant take it in and get bored 2 quickly. Audio tapes didnt work as i need 2 visualise the story. The answer was 2 get a really good adaptation on video by someone like the BBC or Granada. They are really good at keeping it as close as possible 2 the novel itself. It helps and you can get a lot of titles on film. This way you know the story and you only have 2 watch it 4 about 2 hours. It also allows you 2 stop and come back 2 it, but i wouldnt recomend that as if u r like me u will procrastinate until the sun goes down and never get it done!! Hope that helps.

Perhaps reading the text out loud onto a tape and then replaying your own voice and following along with the book?.....?

If it's a text book with subtitles, bullet points, end of section or chapter reviews, etc., read through those first to get a general overview of the subject matter. This should hopefully pull in any prior knowledge you may have about the subject, which is helpful, because learning broken down to it's most basic form is simply attaching new information to "old" information you already know.

If it's literature, movie adaptations are helpful, as well as cliff notes. Also, do consider a tutor....

Perhaps someone on these forums could work with you in the peer coaching section--I'd be happy to do so--if they got the same book(s) you're having to deal with.....?

I shelled out a few hundred dollars to learn how to read more efficiently. (It was actually a speed reading class, but since I read relatively slow compared to my peers, it was more like a learning-how-2-read-better class to me.) It's a great investment if you can find one near you. Here are some tips I got:

-Follow the words by "underlining" them with your index, middle and ring fingertips. Just lightly drag your fingers across the page. (this works GREAT for me because I tend to hop around the page when I read)
-After about 5 minutes, stop and summarize OUT LOUD what you just read. If you find you haven't remembered as much as you would have liked to, lessen the # of minutes between summaries, but still aim towards every 5 minutes.
-(my own technique) Write down key points of what you read in a notebook to refer to in the event all else fails.

I learned a bunch of other techniques but it's too hard to explain here. A lot of the techniques in that class re: organizing notes and stuff can be found in study guides. I think the whole point of it all was to get us to engage as many senses as possible in retaining the information (ie. touch, sight, sound). But definitely if you can afford it, invest in a speed reading class. I only wished I had enough nerve and confidence to demand I be put in a reading class when I was younger...better late than never, right? =)

Most of all, don't lose your self-esteem over this, don't quit college over this! Let your school disability department know you are having this lerning challenge and request extensions on homework, exams, etc, while you are proactively addressing the challenge through the medical system.

There may be other causes of the reading diffuculties. I understand about 1 in 5 people have trouble with the actual muscles coordination of the eyes while reading. Unfortunately, there is a treatment, but since the area Ophthamologist has a monopoly on it the cost here is absorbanant - $5000.00!!! However, I have heard from people who say it worked. Another thing I heard is that the music timing training (forgot the actual name of that training) helps improve symptoms. It costs less, but it is less directed at the eye muscles and more directed at timing of the entire "neuro centers???".

I have found for me, personally, that Welbutrin helps tremendously with reading retention. I suffer slight depression which makes my memory worse if my ADD symptoms are out of control. Welbutrin does two things for me, it slows my brain down slightly - enough to quit hopping around mentally - and it boosts my mood slightly, cutting out some of that depressive thinking. I believe there is no reason to suffer - that is what medication was designed to address - I don't withhold medication treatment from my self and I have no guilt over taking medication, especially since I live and feel and function more effectively. Straterra is also a good medication: I take that with the Welbutrin in the morning, in a very low dose of 40 mg which is all I can tolerate.

There is an interesting progam on the internet, used by all the Japanese colleges, to train the eyes to read and retain - it is quite amazing - I tried the demo - but I did not buy the software. Search under speed reading improvement Japan, and you will find it. If you don't find it, let me know and I will find it. It is a very easy eye exercise program to use and I must admit, the demo worked on me. (If you have trouble finding it, I will search till I find it)

I want you to know there are many students with this trouble. You are not alone, and if you acknowledge this problem to your school dept for students with disabilities, you can start getting assistance with this. If they require medical documentation of a disability, well, go to your MD and do whatever you have to do to start the documentation process. Don't give up. The one person in the universe who you can never give up on is yourself.

Frustrating? Yes! Scary while in school? Yes! I went through it, so I know how scary and difficult it can be, and I'm glad I did not give up.

Jonathan

Try AceRreader at www.acereader.com

It has the eye exercises and the reading exercises. 30 day free trial. There are 4 versions. Get the one that allows adult level; I am using the one that allows adult level, and allows multiple people to use it and keeps lesson records for each one.

I improved my reading speed by 80 wpm in 1 hour of using it.

Jon

I have a good reading tip:

Don't do it!

Ok, so you really should read. I really cannot give any tips for reading in general, but I do recommend using summaries online to help comprehend what happened in a piece (assuming you are reading a book). When I read, the little that I retain is very loosely connected in my mind. A one or two page summary will always tell me more about a book than actually reading it.

Hi,

Great reading tips! I'll have to check out that program!

I completely understand- I'm in college too, and reading as assigned.. well, I start the catch-up game at day one and by the last month of both semesters I've had I stop trying and muddle through. If it's a lecture class, a teacher who lectures well is also important- especially one who plans their lectures to be supported by the text and not vice versa.. but who's class we end up in is often outside of our control.

Reading the footnotes and bulleted info, taking notes (for school reading and for recreational reading), speaking a self-made summary of a finished paragraph all help me understand the info presented as well as remembering it, too. It's nice to know that others benifit from those methods.

If I'm REALLY having trouble focusing, I'll tap my foot and read in a rythmn.

Something I've learned:

The light in which we read under (more specifically the frequency of the light) can effect our eye-page coordination. This has been studied, but I can't find any websites about it right now- if I do I'll provide a link.

A common problem is BRIGHT FLOURESCENT LIGHTS + BRIGHT WHITE PAPER. These lights are common in both classrooms, some dormrooms, and some homes. And most books and text-books are printed on bright white paper. The white paper reflects light back into our eyes, intensifying the interfering effect of the light. Even if it's just a really bright white bulb, but flourscents are definately worse.

I often use green-colored overlays over the page, or light green sunglasses. Green, for me, lessens the glare and helps my eyes focus more easily. But different people can benefit from different colors: soft yellow, blue, pink, light purple....

At home, so I don't always have to use an overlay, some of my lights have those yellow bug-bulbs, or VERY soft off-white bulbs. I haven't tried full-spectrum yet.

If I remember correctly (again, I'll have to search for this), the frequency of many flourescent lights has an interfering effect on normal brain function too, effecting the ability to concentrate. My Grandpa and I are both dyslexic (if he's ADHD too, we don't know) and find that when we're in stores that use flourescent lights, we can't think clearly and can't find what we're looking for and often forget what we came for. I'm not sure if we're the only ones or not.

Don't feel bad. There are some books that I've been reading for the past five years and still haven't finished! It's nothing to be embarrassed about! It also has nothing to do with intelligence. Intelligence and 'processing' speeds, like reading fluency, are not directly related. People can have a high intelligence, and yet also have below average reading and thinking speeds! Good luck!

Something i have just started is outlining what I read. One definition of outlining I like is that of finding what is essential in the text and writing it down. Then, take *that* and condense it even further. i have read that one problem with ADDers is feeling overwhelmed by information--such as pages and pages of notes. I have read that by condensing and then condensing even more--to try to get all the essentials on one page can lessen that feeling of being overwhelmed. I believe it can also help one to learn to zero in on essential facts.

I had a therapist tell me that this worked for him in college. The prof. let the students bring something like a one page outline of several textbooks into the test. Apparently this opportunity motivated the guy to learn to focus on essentials. i know that is not easy. As an ADDer, it something I am just starting to put into practice.

Best regards,

Hi!
I have had the same problem, and never went to get my reading done, since it took so long and I struggle through it.
I got assessed with a LD, short term working memory and attentional deficit (along with ADD) so there is some support in there for me for accommodations.
I would encourage you to get tested if you have not yet been tested

What my problem is, is that I scan words, skip over them and it doesn't process...

SO...

I tried listening to audio tapes in the Disability Resource Centre at my school. They are specially made mainly for those with visual impairments or dyslexia, but I'm pretty certain my disability will qualify.

Anyway, I play the tapes on a special player that allows me to adjust the speed of the tape.
THIS IS KEY!!! When I match the tape speed to a comfortable reading speed, the information really does sink in a LOT better.

I think it's because of a few factors:
1. headphones blocking out outside noise
2. I'm hearing AND seeing the text
3. I'm forcing myself to read slower (so the words sink in)
4. I'm focring my brain to make a connection between the words, the sound and as a result, the meaning.

At my school, if I am eligible for the texts to be put into audio format, I can make an "order" for my textbooks to be taped in advance.

I also have a digital recorder which when I read the text myself, really helped with reading it later on. It also helped me to remember the information better.

I also learned how to enunciate the words better, and I think this may have a comprehension effect as well, my brain might be "hearing" the words more clearly when I read silently.

Anyway, please give it a try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the only thing that has given me hope for the dry readings.

As for the plays I have to read for a literature class, I will be looking for the videos for sure.

Good luck!

I should think that doing virtually ALL the suggestions would generally be effective for ADHD, because there are:

1) multiple problem causes
2) they vary from time to time.

For reading, do it the way teacher s told you to, n d then never made you...

Pre-read - see what it is about... if there are questions at the end read them first.

Write the questions on 4 by 6 index cards, meatly and keep them handy to answer them as you read.

Then read the section headers

make outlines as you go... outlines of different levels of detail, a top view, a top and mediaum view, and a top mendium and detail view.

Put techical details on index crads.

recopy your notes made while reading into different formats that make sense to you. compare the result with the book.

Basically, do as much work on the reading as the author had to do to create it.

Make sure you don't think you have read the chapter until you have read it three times separately.

Read it once before you need to be there. Read it once again and do all this note making. read it a third time as review Before you are supposed to appear in class, or whatever.

Create your own tests.

Make the first test in order, easy for yourself. make additonal tests that are progressively more difficult but not more difficult than you can handle.

You make the tests by going through the chapters and your notes once more for each test. three tests means you've been over the material in detail at least 6 times.

After that you may find it is surprising how much you do know!

I asked my students who got A's what they did... and they said they read the chapters three times.

I started doing that and added steps to address each and every problem that I ran into with my own process.

It takes investment of time, but it pays off too!

I have read about coloured overlays!!

But the website I saw them on had them priced pretty high.

Can anyone tell me a cheaper alternative?

...One more thing... I also find that I can`t study or read very well at a desk!!!

I feel as though I have been programmed to think that I HAVE TO study at a desk...

but I feel more at ease when I`m comfortable - on a couch with pillows, or in a comfy lounge chair.

Of course I have to be honest when I evaluate how effective I am being at studying...

I find that I can only read - lying down on the bed with total silence (apart from the white noise from my pc).

abot the colored overlays - have you ever seen that transparent colored plastic sheet stuff? I think my grandma used to use it to cover our easter baskets. You might be able to find it in craft stores, but I'm not really sure where she got it.

I've also heard of colored saran wrap, but I'm not sure about that either.

by the way, the flourescent lights have ALWAYS bothered me... in some rooms I cna't do ANYTHING that takes concentration just becuase of it! My parents have flourescent lights in their office at home... I could never work well in that room.

I really encourage you to go see the university disabilities counselor - I just did this - they will provide lots of help. You will need a whole lot of info from your doctors but it was not too much trouble. They are even giving me a notetaker (& they pay for it) since I get distracted in lectures.

Also I often tape key text book sections & play them back each day in the car throughout the term. I support this with summarising & reciting out loud - like when you learned times tables (or not if you're like me, but you get the idea). I also make up rhymes about key facts.

Just don't give up :)

I remembered one more reading tip which I learned in a reading class....

rather than following the text along with your fingers, try putting a blank piece of paper below the line you're on. (to cover up the other text)

I've found this REALLY helps me a lot more than I thought it would - it keeps me from skipping around between lines, which I do more than I realized.

I think as ADDers we often try to take in more words than we are physically able to handle, and that is why we always have to go back over and over. The paper forces us to stay on track.

Following along with your fingers seems like it would be ok, but then you are limited to the speed of your fingers, and personally they distract me.

-----------------

one more thing - in speed reading classes they teach you not to look at words individually, but rather as a phrase. If you can train your "eye-span" to be wider then you can take in more and more at one time, and eventually you are not reading a few words at a time, but rather chunks of text. Even if you only see a word for a few milliseconds your brain will understand.

also, you can usually skip more words than you think you can.... speed readers arent' actually reading faster than you are, they just don't read as much!! lol

I'm not very good at it myself, but I hope maybe it will provide some insight for some people.

personally I still find it really tough to balance speed and comprehension.

use acereader like someone before mentioned

it can be downloaded for free and then cracked with a simple google "acereader crack serial" search (b sure to buy it if u like).

this proggie really helps you to just 'hammer" through a reading since it forces you to keep up with the words as they flash on the screen. u can set the speed to however many words per minute u like and increase as u get better.

also, i've been told not to pronounce every last word in my head, but instead to simply 'watch' the words, conceptually visualizing them. i have heard that many good readers watch the words before them like you would watch a movie.

lastly, i don't think there is anything wrong with going back and reading something over again. reading is not something you can do passively. i constantly go back and read certain passages of a book over again.