ADHD and reading

[MentalNomad]

Supposedly there was a study done that claimed that the average person overestimates their reading ability (or something similar). What makes me doubt myself even more is being surrounded by confident people, whether or not they are actually competent in what they claim to be.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by MentalNomad

Part of this general malaise about reading and communicating is that for some reason I assume that the average person is flawless concerning these things. Again, I always excel in whatever verbal test I take, and am doing exceedingly well in school.

There is just this weird disconnect, and I don't know how to explain it or find its source. Aside from that, my former psychologist claimed that if I had a learning disability (not including ADHD), it most likely would have been detected years ago. Of course, I've never stuck with any ADHD medication for long.

I don't think the "average person is flawless" but I am sure that it is much more time consuming for me to read something compared to my peers. The amount of reading assigned in my classes is so great that I can't comfortably take more than 2 courses at a time. It takes me 2 entire days to do the reading for one class every week. That makes 4 solid days of reading, when I am supposed to actually write anything? Many of my peers are working full time, or taking twice as many classes, and finishing the readings.

I had a neuropsych evaluation as part of my diagnosis. They tested my reading comprehension- I needed a lot of extra time to finish. With extra time, I read at a graduate level. Without the extra time, I read at a 4th grade level.

I'm pretty sure this is all due to ADHD. Medication still does not help me much here, yet it makes a huge difference in other areas- like giving me the motivation to start assignments earlier in the week. It doesn't help with writing either, but motivation is still an issue there. I really want to read, but it's still so hard.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by MentalNomad

Supposedly there was a study done that claimed that the average person overestimates their reading ability (or something similar). What makes me doubt myself even more is being surrounded by confident people, whether or not they are actually competent in what they claim to be.

Perhaps our perfectionism is getting in our way here as well. I do seem to get far more out my readings than my peers do, so at least that extra time isn't a complete waste.

Have you had a neuropsych evaluation?

[MentalNomad]

Originally Posted by ana futura

Perhaps our perfectionism is getting in our way here as well. I do seem to get far more out my readings than my peers do, so at least that extra time isn't a complete waste.

Have you had a neuropsych evaluation?

Not dealing with reading specifically.

[Slo-mo a-go-go]

Originally Posted by ana futura

I read very little of my text books over my academic career. I could do fine in class without reading. I just assumed it was because I couldn't be bothered, but now I'm in grad school and I really want to read, but it is so difficult and time consuming. No wonder I avoided it so much when I was younger.

aint that the truth!

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by MentalNomad

Not dealing with reading specifically.

They just threw a short reading comp quiz in with my ADHD eval. I don't think it's part of the WAIS. I wish I could have had the full LD screening done, but my insurance wouldn't cover it. I'm not sure exactly what they were looking for with the reading, but they didn't seem to think it was that out of the ordinary for someone with ADHD to be that slow.

My results were rather eye opening. I'd never had the speed of my reading ability tested before. In grade school I always did fine with reading comprehension, but I do remember taking more time than most.

[Zevispaz]

Originally Posted by ana futura

What are you reading? I can read an interesting article in a magazine or on a website like Salon or Slate no problem. I really run into problems with non-fiction books and academic texts. I suspect that something about websurfing or flipping through a magazine gets me primed. The "hunting" aspect of those activities seems to put my brain in a receptive state.

Even then, if I check out for a minute it's possible that I'll read a whole page, only to realize I haven't actually "read" it. Being encouraged to speed read as a child certainly didn't help.

I read very little of my text books over my academic career. I could do fine in class without reading. I just assumed it was because I couldn't be bothered, but now I'm in grad school and I really want to read, but it is so difficult and time consuming. No wonder I avoided it so much when I was younger.

Anything really, if it's dry text book material, I just skim it and get the first and last sentences of each paragraph which is enough for me to sum it up on a test if I have to. It probably helps that I find most subjects that didn't involve math interesting. I like learning new things and finding out new information.

I read normal books pretty fast as well, I don't speed read on purpose, but most times it's just like "ooh what happens next!! I need to know!" so I skim and speed read and that how I read books. I probably miss a few nuances, but I figure if I'm enjoying them then there's no harm.

[Drewbacca]

Originally Posted by ana futura

Reading academic texts has always been difficult for me. I have to take notes and underline and highlight to make sure I'm absorbing the information. I force myself to read slowly, or else I don't actually retain anything. I often need to read out loud when I first start reading something.

Yet, I've always found them easy to read... time consuming, but readable (so long as I was actively interested).

I've always been a reader... just, sllllooooowwwwwwww.
One of my major struggles, now, with college classes is that I simply can't keep up with the reading (and not reading, hasn't been an option for me).

[Assumption]

@ana, Given that most postmodernist writing is intentionally incoherent blather (some postmodernist authors have argued that obfuscation is a virtue!), I don't think having trouble reading it is indicative of any failure on your part.

http://www.physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/dawkins.html

[MentalNomad]

I was surprised that I received an A in both a constitutional law and modern literature class last semester, and the latter was an independent study course, but focused on "essay" writing.

I seem to absorb enough to perform well above adequate in school, but there's something missing. I have co-morbid issues with anxiety and depression, and potentially another illness that may be affecting my performance. Needless to say, I find pressured educated absolute torture, and there is a niggling fear in the back of my head I'm not cut out for academia.

[Drewbacca]

My problem has never been my grades in of themselves... it's the inconsistency that kills me.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by Assumption

@ana, Given that most postmodernist writing is intentionally incoherent blather (some postmodernist authors have argued that obfuscation is a virtue!), I don't think having trouble reading it is indicative of any failure on your part.

http://www.physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/dawkins.html

Richard Dawkins can stick a large stick up his rump

Yes, some postmodern writing can be frustratingly obtuse, and the added challenge of french-english translation is no joy either, but the ideas conveyed (however poorly) are very worthwhile. There are a ton of horrid post modern authors, and I avoid the bad ones, like I avoid all bad authors. Still, I'd far rather spend my time with Foucault than any other branch of philosophic drivel. Granted I'd prefer to not spend time with any philosophy/ drivel at all, but my field does not permit that.

Roland Barthes is a better example, and I see Dawkins has convientiently left him out of his essay. He is a very good writer, most people do not struggle with him at all, yet I still find reading him very difficult. I love his ideas though, I just have to read him very slowly. I can read Susan Sontag rather easily.

Anyway, I was trying to read an essay the other day, it really was not that difficult. I started moaning and complaining about how hard it was. I made my partner read it, because I wanted to see if it was "just me" or if it was in fact a difficult read. She had no problem understanding it, and she is not in my field. AND she is ADD-I, which I think gets in the way of reading less.

The essays I'm reading, they're really shouldn't be that hard. I'm not sitting here trying to read Baudrillard, just cultural critiques that reference him, and talk about about very concrete ideas.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by MentalNomad

I was surprised that I received an A in both a constitutional law and modern literature class last semester, and the latter was an independent study course, but focused on "essay" writing.

I seem to absorb enough to perform well above adequate in school, but there's something missing. I have co-morbid issues with anxiety and depression, and potentially another illness that may be affecting my performance. Needless to say, I find pressured educated absolute torture, and there is a niggling fear in the back of my head I'm not cut out for academia.

Do you find that your anxiety impacts your reading ability? Mine seems to, If I struggle to get something I get panicky, and it just gets harder and harder.

I know I'm cut out for academia though, as I kill it in seminar courses, I really enjoy what I'm doing, and my professors always seem to like my work (when I turn it in). I'm very aware of my limitations though: I will take longer to graduate than most, and I can't be employed at all while I'm in school. I'm okay with being slower and less accomplished than others, I have to be.

I feel you on the "something missing" bit, I've always felt that way too. It's alright though, as I know there will be "something missing" no matter what field I'm in. I've gotten fired from easy easy retail jobs, there was "something missing" there too. No field is a perfect fit for me, bar being paid to do nothing. At least in academia I'm challenged in a good way, and my abstract thinking ability and "out-there" state of mind benefit me (sometimes).

I bet you are a far better student than you give yourself credit for Nomad. Learn to embrace your positives, and live with your faults. I'm always surprised by the A's I get too, but I'm beginning to suspect that I might actually deserve them.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by Drewbacca

Yet, I've always found them easy to read... time consuming, but readable (so long as I was actively interested).

I've always been a reader... just, sllllooooowwwwwwww.
One of my major struggles, now, with college classes is that I simply can't keep up with the reading (and not reading, hasn't been an option for me).

What's the difference to you between difficult and slow? I can easily grasp ideas, once I actually digest what I'm attempting to read. For me slow = difficult. I have to read things over and over until they gel. That re-reading process is so frustrating to me.

[rockydaydreamer]

I rarely ever read unless I had to or if I got rewarded for it. If I ever pick up a book to read, I often went straight to the back of the book for an idea about what I'm reading. Sometimes I'd get bored while reading and skip ahead to see if there's something more interesting.

Although lately I'm finding that I have difficulty retaining what I read, even if it's a mere sentence. I have to slow myself down and try to pick out the key words in the sentance. I literally feel like being back in 3rd grade sometimes, lol

In college I find it hard to keep up with my textbook readings AND all the reading involved in doing research papers...
Generally, I don't even bother with the textbook readings, I just take good notes, go over the key terms, and I usually do okay on the exams.