Roles of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists Working With Persons With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Position Statement

This position statement is an official policy of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). It was approved by ASHA's Legislative Council in November 1996.

It is the position of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association that audiologists and speech-language pathologists play vital roles in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of persons of all ages with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Audiologists and speech-language pathologists have multiple roles in service delivery to this population. These roles include:

• Members of a team of professionals making the diagnosis of ADHD. By virtue of their expertise diagnosing and treating communication and related disorders that may co-occur with ADHD, audiologists and speech-language pathologists contribute important information necessary for the initial diagnosis of the disorder. Furthermore, they may be the first professionals to recognize behaviors suggestive of ADHD in persons they serve who have communication and related disorders. In this case, it is the responsibility of audiologists and speech-language pathologists to make appropriate referrals and work with other professionals to ensure that persons with ADHD are appropriately assessed and diagnosed in order to have access to a full range of services and supports.

• Primary service providers for persons with ADHD who have communication and related disorders. These disorders may include but are not limited to: language learning disorders, disorders of higher order language functioning, and central auditory processing disorders.

• Consultants to other professionals and to families. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists consult to and collaborate with education and health care professionals, employers, families, and others in order to assist persons with ADHD in functioning maximally in educational, vocational, family, social, and leisure pursuits.

This position statement is based on the Technical Report on the Roles of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists Working with Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Ad Hoc Committee on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, August 1996).