I don't understand things when I read

Page 1 of 1 [ 6 posts ] 

Wags
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 9 Aug 2013
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Posts: 219

14 Nov 2013, 12:27 pm

So, I have significant trouble reading. I'm quite advanced in the reading/vocab aspect, but when I read things, the words don't "click" and come together. I have to read sentences 2-3 times at least for it to "click" and make sense. Is this apart of Aspergers, ADHD? This problem is most significant in math word problems, but a problem for everything.



naturalplastic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Age: 70
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,189
Location: temperate zone

14 Nov 2013, 12:58 pm

Wags wrote:
So, I have significant trouble reading. I'm quite advanced in the reading/vocab aspect, but when I read things, the words don't "click" and come together. I have to read sentences 2-3 times at least for it to "click" and make sense. Is this apart of Aspergers, ADHD? This problem is most significant in math word problems, but a problem for everything.


Have a friend who claims to have just what you describe. Says there is a name for it. Forgot what it is. Its not part of aspergers Though there is no reason an aspie couldnt have it to I suppose ( have it be comorbid).



animalcrackers
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Feb 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,207
Location: Somewhere

14 Nov 2013, 3:22 pm

Wags wrote:
I'm quite advanced in the reading/vocab aspect


When you say you're advanced at reading, do you mean that you're good at decoding (translating the word-image into the word sound)? Or is "reading/vocab" one thing .... if so, does "reading/vocab" refer to understanding single words by themselves?

I think reading problems can have many specific causes -- that may or may not be part of ASD or ADHD. (e.g. problems with working memory, problems regulating your attention, not being a verbal/lexical thinker, problems with complex-information processing, problems with abstraction, problems with visual processing)


_________________
"Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." -- Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Love transcends all.


pete1061
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Nov 2011
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,766
Location: Portland, OR

14 Nov 2013, 3:40 pm

I kinda have a similar problem. I have an excellent vocabulary, and people say I speak well.
But I have difficulties processing structured verbal data, listening to speech & reading. Even writing is tough, I have to think about every sentence very thoroughly before I write it. Come to think about it even speaking, even though it may sound fine to others, they don't realize how much I think about what I say before I say it. If "put on the spot", I freeze up and I'm at a complete loss for words.

It's kinda like dyslexia, but instead of trouble with individual characters, it's trouble with sentences. It's almost like the words get rearranged, rather than the characters. It may be totally unrelated to dyslexia, I dunno. Maybe because I'm such a highly visual thinker, there is extra processing time to translate back and forth between verbal data and visual data. Or something is happening in a non linear fashion with verbal data. When I write, I edit the heck out of things. When I encounter large blocks of text, I have to work hard to force myself to do the required left to right , line by line scanning to read the text. My brain wants to grab the whole paragraph like an image, and I'll bounce around all over, getting the words completely out of order.


_________________
Your Aspie score: 172 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 35 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie
Diagnosed in 2005


NickAspie
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

User avatar

Joined: 2 Nov 2013
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Posts: 4
Location: Western Europe

14 Nov 2013, 4:15 pm

I recognize the having to read sentences 2-3 times before it "clicks". With me it seems to be an attention problem. When reading something I find interesting it's easier to focus and the problem is mostly gone, but when it's boring I often find myself reading the words without meaning. I then need to re-read it (a couple of times) before the words have sunk in and/or make sense. I also skip through long texts and just try to pick up small bits and pieces. I'm having a problem reading something completely from start to finish because my mind tends to wander off. I also have a major problem with reading manuals. Not because I'm having a problem understanding them, it's more that I can't keep my focus when I need to read about boring steps I already know or find logical. I get really frustrated by it. I don't know if this is the same as what you are describing, but I'm being tested for ADHD and this could be part of that, but I'm no expert.


_________________
Recently celebrated my one year Aspie anniversary


qawer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Feb 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,252

14 Nov 2013, 4:20 pm

It's because reading and writing are "social skills". Understanding the meaning behind sentences requires putting them into a social context. So I think the issues described are due to not being social enough.

I've struggled with the same problems, even though I've been great with words and spelling, better than most,