''Language profile among Arabic-speaking children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder"

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) frequently experience language impairments, particularly affecting pragmatic language use in daily life.
• Early identification and intervention for language difficulties in children with ADHD are crucial for effective rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention with various language domains in Egyptian children diagnosed with ADHD.
• To inform better intervention strategies by assessing language skills in children with ADHD.

Main Methods:

• The study included 30 Egyptian Arabic-speaking children aged 4 to 7 years diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-V criteria.
• Language abilities were assessed using the Pre-school Language Scale (PLS-4, Arabic version), Arabic articulation test, and Egyptian Arabic Pragmatic Language Test.
• Evaluations covered receptive, expressive, phonological, and pragmatic language skills, alongside ADHD symptom severity using the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised.

Main Results:

• ADHD children showed non-significant language delays on the modified PLS-4 test compared to norms.
• 70% of ADHD children scored below the 5th percentile on pragmatic language tests, and 50% had difficulties mastering specific sounds.
• A significant negative correlation was found between ADHD symptom scores (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity) and receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language scores.

Conclusions:

• Children with ADHD in this cohort did not exhibit major language difficulties beyond expected norms, except for pragmatic aspects.
• Pragmatic language impairments were prevalent in children with ADHD and positively correlated with ADHD symptom severity.
• Half of the children with ADHD struggled with age-appropriate phonological sound acquisition.