155 | Dyslexia and ADHD ​

This Week’s Episode: Returning to join me on the podcast again is Dr. Roberto Olivardia. Dr. Olivardia is a clinical instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private practice in Massachusetts. Dr. Olivardia specializes in ADHD, OCD, Bipolar Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, personality disorders and eating disorders.  He joins me to talk about Dyslexia on this episode. In this discussion, you will hear Roberto describe what Dyslexia is like for someone that has it.  He goes into detail with the professional definition and then explains what this looks like in real life.  Roberto also talks about the overlap in symptoms between ADHD and Dyslexia and describes how these are different, even with similar symptoms.  We discuss why it’s best that Dyslexia is diagnosed in youth and Robert talks about some of the assistive technology that is available. Connect with Roberto Olivardia: Email - You can thrive with dyslexia if you have the right tools You’ll Learn: [04:05] - Roberto talks about what interests him about dyslexia.   [06:47] - Roberto lays the groundwork for this discussion by defining Dyslexia (with an accent). He describes what Dyslexia is like and I share some of my own experiences.   [18:27] - Roberto explains what to look for when testing for Dyslexia.  Some of these issues can overlap with ADHD, but there is a clear difference. [21:15] - Robert talks about some of the assistive technology that is available for people with Dyslexia. [22:23] - Robert tells the story of he and his son testifying at the Massachusetts State House. [26:09] - Robert talks about some of the teaching patterns for people with Dyslexia.  Robert shares why repeating a grade is a horrible idea for youth with Dyslexia. [29:45] - Robert  believes that children with dyslexia should get diagnosed as early as possible.   [31:30] - Being diagnosed with Dyslexia is more difficult for adults and Robert explains why.   [35:20] - Robert talks about a certain font that has been successful for people with Dyslexia.  It doesn’t really work for Robert’s son and this leads to a discussion on how Robert explains Dyslexia to his son. [39:36] - Robert shares that people with Dyslexia struggle with foreign languages.  However, he has had a number of patients that have excelled in certain languages. [42:02] - A lot of techniques for people with Dyslexia can help people that don’t have Dyslexia.  Robert shares some of these techniques. [50:38] - Robert explains why it is so important for college students to register with the disability office. Your Resources: Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group! If you missed early registration for our Spring ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group, for three days only, I am opening my calendar so you can get $400 off! The dates are Thursday February 16th, Tuesday February 21st, and Tuesday February 28th. Turn good intention into amazing action with our virtual video-based group coaching program. Go to and schedule a call if you want to join.   Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live!  These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30pm.  Go to . ADHD Women’s Palooza If you missed the ADHD Women’s Palooza, you can purchase all 36 sessions (including mine) for only $197! Check it out here: ADHD Friendly Guide to Understanding Insurance Go from “WTF!” to “Done!” with our three-part series.  Jessica Stillwell will be presenting the information and answering all of your questions. Go to to register! Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you?  Do you have a story?  Are you a Coach?  Are you an ADHD Clinician?  If you answered yes to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call .