Communication difficulties due to Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADHD/ADD)
Communication difficulties due to Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADHD/ADD)
A diagnosis of attention deficit disorder comes with it adjustments to home and school routines. Whether or not medication is used to reduce its impact, ADHD can affect learning and development from a very young age. It is important to assess the impact of fragile attention on language and communication abilities. A speech-language pathologist can evaluate the language and communication needs of your child once a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD has been confirmed.
It is frequently overlooked as an element to be considered, but ADHD and speech and language issues often go hand in hand. The symptoms can be similar. It can be hard to tell whether the main issue is a language disorder or an attention issue. If your child has ADHD, it’s likely they also speech or language difficulties.
What kind of difficulties do children
with ADHD have?
First of all, ADHD can lead to organisation challenges; not just on a concrete level, such as cleaning up a room or keeping an agenda, but also with organising thoughts and ideas to express oneself.
Children with ADHD/ADD have difficulty organizing pieces of information and have difficulty organizing and sequencing story components. They experience challenges expressing themselves clearly. Additionally, as they have difficulty focusing in the class, they frequently miss important language based information, such as grammar or vocabulary. They can have difficulty following directions and maintaining attention during tests.
How can speech therapy help children
with ADHD/ADD?
What can a speech language pathologist do to help?
As children with ADHD process language differently, they are at increased risk for significant language delays. Speech language pathologists can help to reduce the delay through targeted intervention for language, but also through explicit teaching of strategies for organizing ideas and opinions and for maintaining attention.An important element in working with a speech-language pathologist is including a collaborative approach. The speech-language pathologists at the Centre Mosaïque work closely with the teachers and school team to ensure that measures are put in place to support your child in their learning environment.
Conclusion
A child with ADHD/ADD struggles with many elements in day to day life. Once a diagnosis has been confirmed, it is important to look at their language and communication abilities to ensure that no delays are present. The speech-language pathologists at the Centre Mosaïque de Québec are able to evaluate and intervene the impact of ADHD/ADD on your child’s language and academic progress. They work directly with the school to ensure that interventions and strategies are supported within the learning environment.
Make an appointment
The Centre Mosaïque is committed to providing prompt care to meet your needs. Feel free to contact us to find out how our speech therapists can help you.