ADHD and reading

[MentalNomad]

For some reason, I always score highly on reading comprehension tests, but when I'm reading a textbook I'm truly wondering if the meaning is being absorbed. I know that ADHD can coincide with other learning disabilities, but it could also be that my attention is so comparatively poor that I can't "latch on" to the meaning. Working memory seems to also be a definite role, and this is better some days than others and more frequently than it used to, but still feels very inconsistent. Thoughts? Any similar experiences?

[DvlsAdv0c8]

English and reading were my favorite classes, I won multiple spelling bees and I obsessively proofread EVERYTHING. I always did well in school, and kicked a** on reading comprehension tests, even though I either just skimmed textbook material or had to re-read stuff a bunch of times before I absorbed it. I actually think it had more to do with interest level for me, and I mostly found learning interesting in general...

That said, I do notice that the need to re-read has gotten worse with age. I have been trying to teach myself a new skill, and I am finding that reading about it isn't gonna cut it. I used to "speed read" - my family thought I was a voracious reader, but I really just breezed through everything without really delving into crafted parts of the writing itself - it was really just easy mental stimulation.

I have learned some things, though - just enough to get myself into trouble, but not quite enough to always get myself out of it...

[MentalNomad]

I agree about the age thing, my memory was much tighter when I was a teenager, as opposed to my current age, 27. Most of the time, I don't trust any notion of intuitive understanding, and I obsessively ask for clarification.

[DvlsAdv0c8]

I'm 41 and I guess I've been lucky with the intuitive understanding - but I STILL ask for clarification just to cover my butt.

When it comes to reading, though - I have sometimes found myself reading each word separately, out loud, to force it into my brain. I really don't want to have to do that with an entire book. And yes, some days are worse than others for me, too.

I thought about audio books - spaced out about 5 minutes into that...I thought tutorial videos might work, but I've had two supposedly excellent video tutorial collections in a folder on my desktop for a year now.

It's not even anything difficult, I know, but for some reason my brain locks up any time I attempt it. I think I get myself all worked up and intimidated by it, and it just snowballs from there. So I shut down and run away screaming.

[Conman]

i love reading, but you know, only stuff i like.

most school reading i typically did not enjoy, only a few books i full blown hated. others were 'i dont care-ish', and some were cool.

[rickymooston]

Originally Posted by MentalNomad

For some reason, I always score highly on reading comprehension tests, but when I'm reading a textbook I'm truly wondering if the meaning is being absorbed. I know that ADHD can coincide with other learning disabilities, but it could also be that my attention is so comparatively poor that I can't "latch on" to the meaning. Working memory seems to also be a definite role, and this is better some days than others and more frequently than it used to, but still feels very inconsistent. Thoughts? Any similar experiences?

Some text books are poorly written

The truth is, you need the information well organized

You find yourself re-reading the crap waiting for them to get ti the point.

The only way to get out of thst cycle, is to read chapters a few at a time and focus on the key things. Read summaries st the end, etc.

This involves fighting a natural tendency you probsbly have to learn at the ladt minute.

I have had this strughle many times. I won the strughle when either a) i was really interested or b) when the text book was well written or c) we have good excercises thst forced me to learn key points

Mosr of the time, i didnt read the whole text book.

I focused on things that were obviously impirtant

[MentalNomad]

Originally Posted by rickymooston

Some text books are poorly written

The truth is, you need the information well organized

You find yourself re-reading the crap waiting for them to get ti the point.

The only way to get out of thst cycle, is to read chapters a few at a time and focus on the key things. Read summaries st the end, etc.

This involves fighting a natural tendency you probsbly have to learn at the ladt minute.

I have had this strughle many times. I won the strughle when either a) i was really interested or b) when the text book was well written or c) we have good excercises thst forced me to learn key points

Mosr of the time, i didnt read the whole text book.

I focused on things that were obviously impirtant

I've considered that the writing of textbooks could be improved, but this doesn't seem to be a very common issue with other people, in that they have issues with comprehending the material, then again I wouldn't know due to lack of direct experience. Although, I've noticed that many online courses have spelling errors by the professors, so I suppose "official source" doesn't mean impeccable grammar, sentence structure, punctuation etc.

[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.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by MentalNomad

I've considered that the writing of textbooks could be improved, but this doesn't seem to be a very common issue with other people, in that they have issues with comprehending the material, then again I wouldn't know due to lack of direct experience.

I struggle the most with post-modern essays. So much circular and obtuse language, get to the point already! I know I struggle way more with works by authors like like Foucault than my peers do.

I do much better with authors that avoid a prose-like style, and write in a succinct and direct fashion.

[MentalNomad]

Originally Posted by ana futura

I struggle the most with post-modern essays. So much circular and obtuse language, get to the point already! I know I struggle way more with works by authors like like Foucault than my peers do.

I do much better with authors that avoid a prose-like style, and write in a succinct and direct fashion.

Philosophical essays can be a bit confusing, that's for sure. I suppose it's easy to see why I'm drawn to Wittgenstein somewhat, because he deals with the utility of language, or how it is understood etc. Even when I wasn't being tested in an academic sense, certain paragraphs would trip me up, and I would read them many times over to make sure I understood them. Again, it's like I have an obsession with comprehension, or something.

[Spacemaster]

I'm a reading machine, when it comes to leisure reading. I've always had a reading level that was far above my age level. My kindergarten teacher gave me special advanced material for me to work on at home. My mom has a copy of an early report card, gushing on how amazing I was at reading.

Absorption of text book details is horrible. I can thoroughly read a chapter in a textbook, multiple times, and still not remember the key points.

Unless the subject is really interesting, I can read a whole chapter, and it was like I didn't retain one single bit of it.

[zoomman]

I've always read. I didn't realize how much re-reading I've been doing my whole life, though, until I saw this:

I love language, though, and reading. Having ADHD has made critical reading a necessity and a virtue, but it has been a long time coming, too. It wasn't until I was in my late 30s that I really began to "see" the meaning behind the words, and too often what I saw made little or no sense.

ADHD means having many reading moods, so I am usually reading half-a-dozen books at any given time, non-fiction and fiction alike.

[Zevispaz]

My reading has always been just fine for me. I speed read and absorb most of it from there. Unless it's really interesting then I delve deeper in. The only trouble is that sometimes I read without paying attention to what I'm reading and then I have to reread the page again, but I don't miss information if I actually read it... if that makes sense.

[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.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by Zevispaz

My reading has always been just fine for me. I speed read and absorb most of it from there. Unless it's really interesting then I delve deeper in. The only trouble is that sometimes I read without paying attention to what I'm reading and then I have to reread the page again, but I don't miss information if I actually read it... if that makes sense.

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.