“There is often a one-sided focus on the behavior of kids with ADHD. But these children may have communication problems as they grow older, particularly in a school situation, if their language skills are not given enough attention,” says Helland.
“If we don’t work hard enough to strengthen language development in children with ADHD, we increase the risk that they won’t learn what they should in school.”
“They’ll also be more likely to fall short in social interactions with
their peers. We need to intervene early to prevent a downward spiral,” adds Helland.
This finding may be related to the social difficulties many ADHD children encounter.
Hellen thinks that ADHD children should have their language skills assessed as well, and schools should be notified of the results to provide services if necessary.
This study was carried out in collaboration between the University of Bergen and the University of Linköping in Sweden. It was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.
