Why Can Meetings Be Difficult When You’re Dyslexic?

Many dyslexic adults tell me the same thing. They understand their work well, yet meetings leave them tired, unsure what was agreed or frustrated that they did not say what they meant to say.

That is not a sign of poor understanding or a lack of professionalism. A meeting asks you to listen, process, remember, think of a reply and often write notes, all at the same time. For some dyslexic people, juggling those demands together is the hard part. Not everyone will recognise all of this, and that is fine too.

Knowing the subject is different from managing the meeting

Expertise and meeting performance are separate things. You might explain a process brilliantly one to one, but find it harder when the same topic is discussed quickly by five people. The knowledge has not gone. The conditions for showing it have changed.

What makes meetings so demanding?

Listening while taking notes

Writing down one point while the next is being made means splitting your attention. If spelling or handwriting takes effort, the note can take longer to capture. Meanwhile the conversation moves on.

Holding several points in mind

Meetings often depend on working memory: keeping one person’s point in mind while you hear another and decide how they connect. When several ideas arrive close together, earlier ones can slip away.

Fast changes of topic

Agendas are not always followed in order. A sudden jump to a different item means dropping one train of thought and building another, which can take a moment longer.

Names, acronyms and technical language

Unfamiliar names, project codes and acronyms add another layer. If you are still working out what a term means, it is harder to follow what is being said about it.

Being expected to respond straight away

“What do you think?” can arrive before you have finished processing the question. Finding the right words quickly, under pressure, is a different task from having a view. Many people give a much stronger answer after a short pause or later in writing.

Several speakers and unclear turn-taking

Interruptions, people talking over each other and no clear chair make it harder to track who said what. It can also be difficult to find a gap to contribute.

Noise, screens and online fatigue

Background noise, poor audio and video delays all take extra effort to filter. Online meetings can add screen sharing, a chat box and reactions to manage while listening. Reading a shared slide and following the speaker at once is genuinely demanding. Long stretches of video calls can be tiring for anyone, and that tiredness can add up. You may recognise this from how work can leave you drained.

Worry about missing something or being judged

If you have missed things before, you may spend part of the meeting worrying about missing things again. That worry uses up some of the attention you need for listening. It is an understandable response, not a personal failing.

Why it can feel easier in some meetings than others

Difficulty is rarely constant. A familiar weekly catch-up with people you know may feel fine. A new client meeting, a noisy room or a long online session with unfamiliar terms may feel much harder. The setting, the pace, your energy and how well you know the topic all play a part.

This is also why some people contribute best after the meeting. Given time to process, they often offer the most thoughtful ideas in the room.

What can help

Small changes often make the biggest difference. Not every idea below will suit you or your workplace, so choose what fits.

Before the meeting

• •Ask for the agenda and any papers in advance, so you can read at your own pace.
• •Check the aim of the meeting. Is it to share information, discuss or decide?
• •Ask for key terms, names or acronyms ahead of time.
• •For long meetings, suggest scheduled breaks.

During the meeting

• •Use captions or live transcription where your organisation allows it.
• •Record only where everyone has agreed and your organisation’s rules allow.
• •Ask for a moment to think before a decision, or offer to follow up by email.
• •Avoid being the person expected to listen, take minutes and contribute at once.

After the meeting

• •Ask for written actions, with who is doing what and by when.
• •Agree one person you can check actions with.
• •Send a short follow-up summarising your understanding of your responsibilities and deadlines.

Tools such as captions, transcription and note apps are covered in my guide to technology and assistive tools.

Tools such as captions, transcription and note apps are covered in my guide to technology and assistive tools.

Talking to your workplace about adjustments

Good support is individual. A generic dyslexia checklist may miss what actually gets in your way. It helps to name specific situations, such as “I find it hard to follow decisions in long online meetings”, and suggest specific changes.

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees. Whether dyslexia meets the legal definition depends on its effect on the individual, and what counts as reasonable depends on the circumstances. My articles on whether dyslexia is a disability under the Equality Act and reasonable adjustments at work go into more detail. This is general information, not legal advice.

The government’s Access to Work scheme may help with support beyond standard reasonable adjustments. Eligibility depends on your circumstances and is decided by the scheme. If you are unsure whether to raise any of this, my guide to telling your employer you are dyslexic may help.

Where to go next

Meetings are one setting. Spoken information in general can be tricky too, which I explore in why verbal instructions can be difficult to remember.

Assessment is not the only route to better meetings. But if you would like to understand your own profile, an adult dyslexia assessment describes how you learn and process information. A workplace needs assessment is different: it looks at the barriers within your actual role and what might reduce them. You can read more about whether you need one.