New research suggests children suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are about three times more likely to have language problems than those who do not have the condition.
"We found that 40 percent of children in the ADHD group had language problems, compared to 17 percent of children in the 'control' group," Emma Sciberras, a clinical psychologist and post-doctoral research fellow at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Victoria, Australia, said, HealthDay reported. "Rates of language problems were similar in boys and girls with ADHD."
Children struggling with ADHD often have academic troubles, but this is even more pronounced if language problems are thrown into the mix, HealthDay reported.
Language problems refers to both "receptive and expressive language"; receptive language is the ability to "listen and understand" while expressive language is the ability to "speak and be understood," HealthDay reported.
The researchers looked at 179 children diagnosed with ADHD and 212 who did not struggle with the disorder. Less than half of the participants with ADHD were taking medication.
The data suggested children with ADHD were 2.8 times more likely to struggle with ADHD; this was still accurate after the researchers adjusted for sociodemographic factors linked to the disorder.
"We were surprised that language problems were not associated with poorer social functioning for children with ADHD," Sciberras said told HealthDay. "It could be that children with ADHD are already experiencing poorer social functioning due to other factors including their ADHD symptoms or other associated difficulties."
The language problems could get worse with age as social relationships get more complex.
"If a child has ADHD and they're struggling in school, even though their ADHD symptoms are well-controlled, in addition to getting tested for learning disabilities, they should also be looked at for language difficulties as well. And that's not something we always think of," Doctor Bradley Berg, medical director of McLane Children's Pediatrics at Baylor Scott & White Healthcare, said, HealthDay reported.
