“He won’t wait for his turn when we are playing a board game and ends up fighting with his siblings.”
“My daughter can’t sit still at school. She doesn’t listen to the teacher.”
“ADHD makes it hard for my son to stay organized and remember to turn in his assignments.”
Many children can have difficulty sitting still, paying attention, or controlling impulsive behavior occasionally. For some, however, the problems are so pervasive and persistent that they interfere with every aspect of their life: home, academic, and social. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not simply a lack of focus or self-control; it is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 11 percent of school-age children. Symptoms continue into adulthood in more than three-quarters of cases. 8 million adults in the United States have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
On the other hand, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a brain difference that makes talking and listening difficult and is 5 times more prevalent than autism. About 1 in 14 children experience unexplained difficulties with using and/or understanding language that hinder their everyday communicative functioning and academic progress due to DLD.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) frequently co-occur. The impact of these disorders is seen across all aspects of life, including academic achievement, social interactions, and employment. Individuals with DLD and ADHD are known to have differences in their executive and adaptive functioning, attention, memory, affect, and emotional regulation. Understanding the impact of these needs and how to best support individuals to live their fullest potential is crucial for families, educators, and clinicians.
To help children with DLD and ADHD, we can make some simple changes to the way we interact with them, including at home, in therapy, and in the classroom. Read on for more information on Developmental Language Disorder and ADHD.
ADHD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of:
Inattention: Difficulty sustaining attention to tasks or conversations, starts thinking about other things, does not seem to listen, frequent forgetfulness, difficulty organizing thoughts, and difficulty learning new things,
Hyperactivity: Restlessness, fidgeting, inability to stay still or quiet, may bounce from one activity to the next, often tries to do more than one thing at once.
Impulsivity: Acting without thinking, interrupting others, and difficulty waiting their turn such as when playing a game or during conversations.
Co-occurring Disorders
More than two-thirds of children with ADHD have at least one other co-existing condition. Any disorder can co-exist with ADHD, but certain disorders seem to occur more often. These disorders include oppositional defiant and conduct disorders, anxiety, depression, tic disorders or Tourette syndrome, sleep disorders, and learning disabilities. When co-existing conditions are present, academic and behavioral problems, as well as emotional issues, may be more complex. These co-occurring disorders can continue throughout a person’s life. No two people with ADHD are completely alike, and with differing lifestyles, the impact on daily life can also vary.
Russell Barkley, a neuropsychologist and leading researcher in ADHD, has cited that as many as ⅔ of children with ADHD also have speech and language disorders, with some studies indicating that the prevalence is as high as 90%.
ADHD's Impact on Speech and Language Development
Executive Function: EF refers to the brain's ability to act like a command center. It involves processes that manage, control, and regulate one’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions. Core executive function skills including self-awareness, Inhibition, non-verbal working memory, verbal working memory, emotional self-regulation, self-motivation, planning, and problem-solving, can be impaired in individuals with ADHD.
Language Processing Disorders: These disorders impair a person's ability to understand and interpret spoken or written language. Children with ADHD may have delays or difficulties processing language, resulting in difficulties with comprehension, following directions, and recalling information. This can have an impact on their academic performance as well as their overall communication skills, especially in higher grades. It can look like difficulty with grasping the teacher’s lessons in science, answering open-ended questions in social studies, interpreting story problems in math, following multistep directions in PE, etc
Receptive Language Challenges: Difficulty with Attention and Focus can disrupt language comprehension. Individuals with ADHD may struggle to maintain concentration during conversations, miss crucial details or instructions, and have difficulties following instructions, both of which hinder effective communication. People with ADHD may struggle to wait their turn or listen actively.
Expressive Language Challenges: The impulsivity associated with ADHD can affect expressive language, particularly in the areas of word retrieval, working memory, and narrative language skills.
Reading and Writing: Many children with ADHD struggle with some aspect of reading or writing. Writing is also often affected because it is a complex process that requires several skills to work harmoniously together.
Social Communication or Pragmatic Language Disorders: Pragmatic language refers to how language is used in social contexts. Individuals with ADHD may have pragmatic language disorders, manifesting as difficulties in understanding and applying social communication rules. They may struggle with taking turns in conversations, recognizing nonverbal cues, or adjusting their speech to the social context, making it difficult to engage in social interactions effectively.
Speech therapy can be highly beneficial for individuals with ADHD and DLD. Speech pathologists can improve overall communication, language processing, and executive functioning skills. Understanding how ADHD can affect speech and language development is the first step in providing effective support. In cases where the child has a diagnosis of ADHD, a valid and reliable test of non-word repetition, sentence recall, and tense marking in their language assessment battery should be done to assess whether the child truly has a language impairment, that is further affecting their communication and academic potential. With the right interventions and a supportive environment, individuals with ADHD can develop strong speech and language skills, enhancing their interpersonal communication and overall quality of life.
If you or your loved one is seeking speech therapy, please consult a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist for guidance. At Resonate Therapy Solutions, we provide skilled speech therapy services for children and adults in the comfort of home or via teletherapy. Schedule a consultation with us. https://www.resonatetherapysolutions.com
References:
ADHD and Speech Therapy
The DLD Project
https://thedldproject.com/developmental-language-disorder-dld/dld-awareness-day
The Childhood Collective
Redmond, S.M., Ash, A.C., & Hogan, T.P. (2015). Consequences of Co-occurring Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder on Children’s Language Impairments. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 46, 68-80.
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