Researchers at the ADHD Cognition Centre in Toronto have identified a number of spoken language difficulties directly related to ADD/ADHD.

Weaknesses in Pragmatic(Social) Language

• Blurting out answers in class
• Interrupting others
• Talking excessively when it is inappropriate
• Often highly verbose: they speak for much longer at a stretch, and with many brief pauses.
• Within-turn pauses are too short to permit thought, organization of information, or planning.
• Within-turn pauses are too short to permit others interceding or being able to take a turn.

Problems with Voice Modulation

• Often speaks much louder than social norms and fail to modulate their voice volume.
• It may appear that these children are being rude or “in your face.”
• These problems likely reflect an immature motor system, which is involved in the fine muscle adjustments involved in voice modulation.

Weaknesses in Higher-level Language

• Problems comprehending inferences
• Trouble identifying errors in instructions
• Difficulty monitoring comprehension of orally presented information
• Challenges comprehending information in science textbooks
• Problems comprehending cause-effect relationships
• Trouble elaborating verbally on their ideas
• Problems making clear explanations on request
• Difficulty answering questions concisely using specific vocabulary

For more information regarding the language and learning difficulties of children with ADD/ADHD, you are encouraged to consider the following research-based articles from the ADHD Cognition Centre in Toronto:

Rethinking ADHD from a Cognitive Perspective

Rethinking ADHD in the Classroom

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(c) 2009- 2012, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.