When Reading Is Hard: Dyslexia, Visual Processing & ADHD Support (with Diane Gutierrez)

When Reading Is Hard: Dyslexia, Visual Processing & ADHD Support (with Diane Gutierrez)

From The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast by Kate Brownfield

February 2, 2026 · 47 min · Episode 120

About this episode

This episode discusses practical strategies for supporting children with dyslexia and ADHD in reading, featuring insights from Diane Gutierrez.

If reading turns into tears, avoidance, or exhaustion in your home, this episode offers a fresh, practical angle: instead of forcing the brain to adjust to the text, what if the text adjusted to your child? Host Kate Brownfield sits down with Diane Gutierrez (co-founder of Cognition Labs and a mom in a neurodiverse family) for a two-part conversation on reducing reading strain for dyslexia/visual-perceptual differences, and on real-life parenting strategies for ADHD families. Diane shares how adjustable text tools can lower cognitive load and improve comprehension, plus the lived wisdom that helped her family navigate school, stress, mental health, and the long haul of raising kids with ADHD and dyslexia. In this episode, we cover: Why “the text should adjust to us” (and how that supports comprehension + reduces fatigue) How Cognition Labs transforms books, PDFs, notes, and scanned images with 15+ adjustable settings Tools families use most: syllabication support, confusable-letter fixes (b/d/p/q), and visual settings that reduce strain Why these supports may help kids with ADHD, by reducing cognitive load during reading Parenting wisdom from a home where ADHD affects nearly…

People in this episode

Host: Kate Brownfield

Guest: Diane Gutierrez

Topics covered

  • dyslexia
  • visual processing
  • ADHD support
  • reading strategies
  • parenting
  • cognitive load

Keywords

  • dyslexia
  • ADHD
  • reading support
  • Cognition Labs
  • parenting strategies
  • cognitive load
  • visual processing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cognition Labs

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