Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
What is ADHD?
ADHD
is a condition of the brain that affects a person's ability
to pay attention. It is most common in school-age children.
What are some signs or symptoms of ADHD?
ADHD is a
chronic disorder
, meaning that it affects an individual throughout life. The
symptoms are also
pervasive
, meaning they occur in multiple settings, rather than just
one.
Current research supports the idea of two distinct
characteristics of ADHD, inattention and/or
hyperactivity-impulsivity. A child with these characteristics
typically demonstrates the following signs:
Inattention
- Has difficulty concentrating
- Has unrelated thoughts
- Has problems focusing and sustaining attention
- Appears to not be listening
- Performance depends on task
- May have better attention to enjoyed activities
- Has difficulty planning, organizing, and completing tasks
on time
- Has problems learning new things
- Demonstrates poor self-regulation of behavior, that is, he
or she has difficulty monitoring and modifying behavior to fit
different situations and settings
Hyperactivity
- Seems unable to sit still (e.g., squirming in his/her seat,
roaming around the room, tapping pencil, wiggling feet, and
touching everything)
- Appears restless and fidgety
- May bounce from one activity to the next
- Often tries to do more than one thing at once
Impulsivity
- Difficulty thinking before acting (e.g., hitting a
classmate when he/she is upset or frustrated)
- Problems waiting his/her turn, such as when playing a
game
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How is ADHD diagnosed?
ADHD is diagnosed by the child's doctor, with input from
the family and other professionals. These professionals include
the following:
- speech-language pathologists (SLPs)
- regular, special education, and resource teachers
- nurses
- psychologists
- employers (when applicable)
Assessments by the SLP may include some or all of the
following:
- Observing the interactions with peers and authority figures
in the classroom/work setting and during formal testing
- Observing conversation with parents and other family
members
- Interviewing parents/caregivers about speech and language
development
- Interviewing the child to evaluate self-awareness of needs
and difficulties, as age appropriate
- Formally evaluating speech and language skills, such as
fluency (whether or not child stutters), speech articulation
(pronunciation and clarity of speech), understanding and use of
grammar (syntax), understanding and use of vocabulary
(semantics ), awareness of speech sounds (phonemic
awareness)
- Evaluating the ability to explain or retell a story,
centering on a topic and chaining a sequence of events
together
- Assessing social communication skills (pragmatic
language)
- Discussing stories and the points of view of various
characters
- Assessing the ability to plan, organize, and attend to
details
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What speech and language treatments are available for people with
ADHD?
Specific speech and language patterns vary from child to child
with ADHD. For example, some children with ADHD also have
learning disabilities that affect their speech and language.
Evaluation of each child's individual speech and language
ability is critical to developing an appropriate treatment
plan.
Speech and language intervention for the person with ADHD is
always individualized, as each person has different needs.
- A physician will work with the family and student to
prescribe medication, if needed, to help with attention. If
medication is prescribed, the SLP will work with other
educational professionals to observe the student's pre- and
post-medication behavior. As part of the educational team, the
SLP will communicate with the family and physician regarding
any post-medication behavioral changes. Is the student drowsy?
Is sustained attention better/worse? How long does it take for
the medication to take effect? The physician will use these
observations to adjust dosage, the time medications are
administered, and which medication is used.
- The SLP, along with other team members, will work with the
teacher to change the classroom environment as needed (e.g.,
sitting the student in the front of the classroom, having the
student repeat directions before following them, using
checklists and other visual organizers to help with planning
and follow-through).
- Speech-language treatment will focus on individualized
language goals, such as teaching better communication in
specific social situations, and study skills
(planning/organizing/attention to detail). Again, language
goals will differ depending on the needs of the individual
student.
To contact a speech-language pathologist, visit
ASHA's Find a Professional.
What other organizations have information about ADHD?
This list is not exhaustive and inclusion does not imply
endorsement of the organization or the content of the Web site
by ASHA.
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See Also:
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):
Causes and Number
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):
Benefits of Speech-language Pathology Services