Private ADHD School in Sacramento: Why Your Smart Kid Still Can’t Read

Your child can’t sit still during reading time. They lose worksheets, forget instructions, and their backpack is a mess. The teacher suggests an ADHD evaluation, but something feels off. Yes, they’re distracted and impulsive, but you’ve also noticed they avoid reading, confuse similar-looking words, and take a long time to finish written assignments. As you look for a private ADHD school Sacramento families trust, you start to wonder: what if it’s not just ADHD?

The Overlapping Symptoms That Confuse Everyone

Here’s what makes diagnosis complicated. A child with undiagnosed dyslexia often acts just like a child with ADHD. They fidget during reading because it’s painful to decode words. They lose focus because working three times harder than their peers is exhausting. They avoid homework because past experiences tell them it will take hours and end in frustration.

Meanwhile, children with ADHD struggle to read because they can’t focus long enough to track across a sentence. They miss words, skip lines, and forget what they just read. Their written work is messy and incomplete, not because they can’t form letters, but because their minds jump to something else mid-sentence.

The symptoms overlap so much that even experienced teachers and doctors often miss the distinction. This is why families in Sacramento go from one specialist to another, gathering partial diagnoses that never offer the full picture.

Why Comorbidity Is More Common Than You Think

Research from the International Dyslexia Association shows that 40% of children with dyslexia also have ADHD. That’s not just a coincidence. Both conditions involve differences in how the brain processes information and often share genetic factors.

When ADHD and dyslexia occur together, they don’t just add together; they multiply. The ADHD makes it harder to focus on the already tough task of decoding. The dyslexia makes reading so hard that even ADHD medication can’t keep attention through the struggle. Traditional treatments for either condition usually fail because they only address part of the problem.

This explains why so many parents in Sacramento feel stuck. The ADHD medication helps with focus, but reading doesn’t get better. The reading tutor makes progress, but homework still takes forever. Nothing seems to work because no one is addressing both issues at the same time.

The Problem with Single-Focus Schools

Most private schools in Sacramento focus on either ADHD or learning differences, rarely both. ADHD schools offer smaller classes, movement breaks, and executive function coaching. They help with organization and attention but use the same reading curriculum as traditional schools, just delivered in shorter sessions.

Dyslexia schools provide targeted reading instruction using methods like Orton-Gillingham, but they expect students to sit still for 90-minute sessions. They tackle the reading issue but may not address the attention and executive function problems.

When your child has both conditions, they need a program that understands how ADHD and dyslexia connect. They require reading instruction that is systematic and clear, given in ways that help, not hinder, their attention.

What Comprehensive Testing Actually Reveals

This is where private dyslexia testing is crucial. School district evaluations often look for one issue or the other. They might find attention problems and stop there or discover reading delays and miss the ADHD part. Private comprehensive testing checks all aspects of learning and attention, often revealing the full picture for the first time.

Quality testing goes beyond basic reading assessments or attention checklists. It examines phonological processing, working memory, processing speed, and executive function. It looks at how these areas interact and affect each other. A child might have average phonics skills but poor reading fluency because their attention drifts mid-word. Another might stay focused when interested but totally shut down when faced with written text.

The testing process usually takes four to six hours over several sessions. Yes, it’s expensive, typically costing between $2,000 and $4,000 in the Sacramento area. But parents often say it’s worth it because they finally understand their child’s needs.

Signs You’re Dealing with Both Conditions

Parents in Sacramento who have dealt with this dual diagnosis notice particular patterns. In kindergarten and first grade, the child seems bright but struggles to learn letter sounds. They’re labeled as immature or unfocused. By second grade, they’re significantly behind in reading and also having behavior issues.

The homework struggles are especially revealing. It’s not just that homework takes forever; it’s how it takes forever. The child spends 20 minutes looking for a pencil, 10 minutes arguing about starting, reads the first sentence three times without understanding, then needs a bathroom break. When they finally concentrate, they confuse b and d, spell the same word differently three times, and forget what they were writing mid-sentence.

Social struggles often arise as well. The child interrupts constantly (ADHD) but also misunderstands verbal instructions (common auditory processing issues with dyslexia). They want to make friends but find it tough due to impulsive actions and difficulties with language processing needed for smooth conversations.

How Specialized Programs Address Both

The best programs for children with both ADHD and dyslexia know you can’t treat the conditions separately throughout the day. Reading instruction occurs in shorter, more intense sessions with built-in movement breaks. Multi-sensory techniques that help with dyslexia also engage ADHD minds.

Teachers in these programs understand that the child who bounces in their seat might actually be trying to focus, not being defiant. They recognize that the student who seems to ignore instructions might have processing delays, not oppositional behavior. They incorporate wait time, repetition, and various ways to demonstrate learning.

Medication management becomes more nuanced as well. The right ADHD medication can improve focus enough to benefit from dyslexia support, but it won’t teach reading skills. Some children require medication adjustments once their reading improves, since the cognitive load decreases. This requires collaboration between educational specialists and medical providers.

The Executive Function Component

Both ADHD and dyslexia affect executive function, which includes working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. When both conditions are present, executive function deficits can be severe. The child doesn’t just struggle to read; they find it hard to remember what they read, organize their thoughts about it, and express those thoughts in writing.

Effective programs teach executive function skills alongside academic subjects. Students learn to break large assignments into steps, use visual organizers for writing, and develop systematic approaches to tasks. These aren’t just helpful strategies; they’re essential accommodations that make learning possible.

Technology plays a key role here. Text-to-speech software helps with dyslexia, while timers and reminder apps assist with ADHD management. Graphic organizers benefit both conditions by providing visual structure for thoughts, which can be hard to sequence due to dyslexia and difficult to maintain due to ADHD.

The Cost-Benefit Analysis

Private schools that effectively address both ADHD and dyslexia generally cost between $25,000 and $35,000 annually in Sacramento, which is more than single-focus schools. When you add testing, therapy, and possibly medication management, families face significant financial strain.

But think about the alternative costs. Tutoring for reading plus ADHD coaching can easily surpass $15,000 a year with little coordination between providers. Summer programs, repeating grades, and the emotional toll of persistent failure add up quickly. Many families find that comprehensive intervention, while costly upfront, ends up being less than years spent piecing together partial solutions.

Some Sacramento districts will fund private placement when they can’t provide suitable services for students with multiple diagnoses. This requires documentation and sometimes legal support, but several families have succeeded in obtaining full or partial funding.

Finding the Right Fit in Sacramento

Start by getting comprehensive testing that looks at both attention and learning. Private testing offers the detailed analysis needed to understand how ADHD and dyslexia interact in your child. This will serve as your guide for selecting suitable interventions.

When looking at schools, specifically ask about their experience with comorbid conditions. How do they adapt dyslexia instruction for students with attention challenges? How do they organize the day to accommodate both needs? Request references from families whose children have both diagnoses.

Seek programs that integrate support instead of treating conditions separately. The reading specialist and ADHD coach should work together, not in isolation. Medication decisions should consider academic demands alongside behavior management.

The Path Forward

Living with both ADHD and dyslexia is tough but manageable with the right support. Many successful adults have both conditions and attribute their achievements to finally getting the right intervention that addressed their complete profile.

Your child’s scattered attention and reading difficulties aren’t character flaws or intelligence issues. They’re neurological differences that need specific teaching methods and supports. Once you grasp what you’re facing, you can find or create the educational environment where your child can thrive.

The journey may seem overwhelming, but Sacramento has resources and professionals who understand these complex cases. The key is realizing that you’re not dealing with one condition or the other; you’re dealing with a unique combination that needs a comprehensive approach. With the right testing, suitable intervention, and coordinated support, children with both ADHD and dyslexia can reach their full potential.