Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Dyslexia are two very different kinds of disorders with some similarities. Each disorder disrupts learning for sufferers, neither is uncontroversial and each can be alleviated through specialized instruction and the awareness of teachers.

ADHD is a psychiatric disorder that disrupts much more than learning, affecting social interactions and abilities, communication and employability, among other things. While ADHD is debated, there is wide acceptance that it does exist with identifiable symptoms. Dyslexia is a learning disorder more properly but it can also affect communication, interaction and an individual's ability to function in a work environment. There are some who dispute that dyslexia is in fact indistinguishable from being just a poor reader, but this view is in the minority. Dyslexia may be considered less disruptive in general although in specific cases ADHD may be less severe for some sufferers than for some severely dyslexic students.

Specialized Support for ADHD and Dyslexia by Schools

Schools can offer supporting programs offering remedial help to children with either Dyslexia or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD generally requires additional therapies and treatments outside of what can be offered in school, including medical stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall.

There are a number of private schools who have pioneered methods for dealing with disorders. One such school is the Arrowsmith School in Toronto. The school follows the teachings of Barbara Arrowsmith, who learned how to "program" her own learning disabilities. The school and its program (adopted by schools the world over) follows a philosophy espousing the treatment of learning disabilities through intensive exercises that strengthen cognitive weaknesses. In many cases, the Arrowsmith program can lead to the eventual reintegration of learning disabled children back into the mainstream.
The success of the Arrowsmith program is one example of how the freedom afforded in private schools can foster unique understanding of learning disorders.

Private schools are also able to offer specialized environments where children with similar disabilities are able to interact away from (at least) peer pressures and (at worst) the taunts and bullying of other students who may not have sympathy for sufferers. One such example of this is the Gow School in South Wales, a boarding school for boys only in upstate New York, where special needs students are welcome. There are many other examples of this and other private schools that specialize in helping students with ADHD, Dyslexia, learning disabilities and other special needs.

In many cases then, private school really can offer better support for ADHD students and students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia.