Language Ability in Attention Deficit Disorder
(El lenguaje en el trastorno por déficit de atención)
Authors : Vaquerizo-Madrid, J.; F. Estévez-Díaz; and A. Pozo-García.
Published in Revista de Neurología , Vol.41, Suplemento 1, 30 June 2005, p.83.
The above article presents a model of evaluation for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) based on an analysis of the pragmatic use and operation of language in ADHD sufferers, and the correspondent development of language ability under ADHD. The authors provide illustrative examples – using actual cases – to assist their descriptions of certain psychodiagnostic therapeutic techniques, like 'retelling', which are examined in their
research. The examples also serve to demonstrate the types of linguistic errors that individuals with ADHD commit, and what these findings mean for the evaluation and diagnosis of this disorder.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a group of chronic mental disorders that begin in childhood and sometimes last into adult life. The types of problems generally associated with ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. As these disorders affect a person's ability to function in normal social and individual activities, they can impinge on nearly every aspect of life. Medical science, social workers and the education system are currently struggling with the fact that ADHD is becoming increasingly prevalent, with new cases being diagnosed in western countries every day. According to research quoted in the article, ADHD is thought to affect 7.5% of students from eight to nine years of age. Boys are three times more likely than girls to have ADHD.
The cognitive dysfunction that characterises ADHD is expressed in: a) a failure of judgement by the person when they exercise their executive functions; b) the internalisation of language by them, and because of these things; c) a resultant lower capacity of analysis and synthesis of information. In terms of language development,
children with ADHD, besides having difficulties in their phonological organisation and syntax, demonstrate serious problems in those linguistic tasks that need semantic organisation; they have a poor auditory memory and, have a specific kind of difficulty in pragmatic communication functions. And due to their executive dysfunction, ADHD sufferers lose much of the verbal information they receive, which the research indicates is a major contributor to the development of learning difficulties, especially in tasks requiring reading comprehension, listening or dictation.
Children with ADHD have great difficulties in any tasks relating to narration, which is one of the fundamental aspects of language communication. All of the tasks of normal language comprehension and production that people do in verbal communication are made up of a complex arrangement of mini-tasks which require planning, organisation and the executive regulation of linguistic behaviour; something that mentally healthy individuals accomplish without effort, but which creates great problems people with ADHD.
The research discussed indicates that a degree of therapeutic success can be achieved in the improvement of language ability via the design of strategies specifically for the diagnosis and treatment of the narrative capacity of a child with ADHD. The main methods investigated include retelling or the 'elaboration of stories'.
In one of the illustrative examples, the experience of 'Gillig', a poor reader, shows that story-telling techniques can be useful when incorporated into the design of a workshop environment, with evidence that they contribute to improving the reading comprehension, dictation and narrative skills in children with ADHD. According to the psycho-educational experience of the authors, the story-telling approach is a beneficial and productive psycho-pedagogical remedial strategy in the treatment of thiser.
For further information on this and the other papers presented, see the following link: http://www.revneurol.com/ind.asp?Vol=41&Num=S01&i=e
Original abstract by Poltergeist.