Fonts Matter: Neuro-Friendly Fonts for Dyslexia, ADHD, and Visual Processing Challenges

October is home to so many awareness months, including Dyslexia Awareness Month and ADHD Awareness Month.

I’ve never actively shared this before, but all Kindy Squad books, and My Dreaming Kite, are published using Lexend font for interior text.

Font matters. Choosing a font based on aesthetics for a children’s book can be prohibitive for children who face challenges around reading, processing, and focus. This includes neurodivergent brains that face the daily stickiness of dyslexia, ADHD, ASD, and Sensory or Visual Processing challenges.

A lot of fonts are fatiguing, and as a result more difficult to read and process. Even seemingly simple fonts may be challenging due to letter formation, shape patterns, spacing, and line weight.

Difficulty processing fonts can increase problems for those whose brains need to work harder to read text, leading to reluctant readers, confidence and self esteem issues, further learning gaps, and emotional regulation challenges.

Our brains face such an onslaught of stimuli every day (grownups included). Wouldn’t it be wonderful if reading gave us a break from it all?

It is easy to make children’s books available for all readers and all neurotypes. It requires no extra effort, or cost. It just requires awareness and a small shift within the industry. My dream is to see fonts like Lexend become the publishing standard for ALL books - from children’s picture books, to Young Adult, and even non-fiction text books and standard novels.

What is Lexend?

Lexend is a font family designed to help make reading more accessible, especially for those who experience hurdles like dyslexia, ADHD, and processing challenges. It came from a collaboration between designer Thomas Jockin and reading researcher Dr Bonnie Shaver-Troup.

What makes Lexend less fatiguing?

• Wide letter spacing: Reduces crowding between letters.

• Extended character shapes: Improves recognition and differentiation.

• Low contrast and balanced weight: Makes letters easier to visually process.

• Consistent rhythm: Helps readers maintain focus and track lines more smoothly.

Who is Lexend for?

Lexend is for everyone! While it is designed specifically for neurodivergent readers, this font is universal and inclusive. Everyone can benefit, especially:

• Tired young eyes and brains

• Exhausted parents reading bedtime stories

• Educators and teachers sharing storytime while engaging with and tracking little audience members!

• Anyone passionate about and committed to creating inclusive literacy environments

So that’s the font… what about illustrations?

Complex, 3D-style illustrations with lots of shading and variation can also create visual and mental fatigue. Many modern books contain illustrations that are harder to track, harder to interpret and, as a result, harder to read and process.

This is why I love working with Anna Cherk as the illustrator of the Kindy Squad series. Her amazing, yet simple illustration style is beautiful, yet expressive, creating a symbiosis between words and pictures. Her talent for capturing personality and story in a 2D, minimalistic style is perfect for busy brains that are easily fatigued. The illustrations honour space, providing enough clean, white space to allow the characters and their stories to stand out easily.

Key Takeaways

• All readers can benefit from fonts, illustrations, and formatting that are less fatiguing

• Inclusion matters when it comes to literacy

• Reluctant readers need additional consideration and support

• The more enjoyable and less exhausting reading is, the better it is for any reader

• Our brains need space to engage and process, and fonts play a huge role in this… even those that are more challenging than they might seem.

Check out the Lexend font here.