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Cognitive Profiles of Children with Reading Disabilities and/or ADHD
Miao Li1, John R Kirby2, Tingzhao Wang3
1College of Education, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 28, 2026
Summary
Children with reading disabilities (RD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit distinct cognitive deficits. Comorbid ADHD + RD shows the most significant challenges, suggesting an additive model for intervention planning.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Reading disabilities (RD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Understanding the cognitive profiles of children with RD, ADHD, and their comorbidity is crucial for effective interventions.
- Prior research suggests overlapping yet distinct cognitive challenges in these conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the cognitive profiles of children with RD, ADHD, and comorbid ADHD + RD against typically developing peers.
- To investigate specific cognitive domains including attention, inhibition, working memory, and rapid automatized naming (RAN).
- To examine the additive or interactive effects of RD and ADHD on cognitive functioning.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 151 Grade 1-3 students in China.
- Participants were categorized into four groups: RD, ADHD, ADHD + RD, and typically developing (TD).
- Cognitive assessments were conducted across attention, inhibition, working memory, and RAN, with age as a covariate.
Main Results:
- Significant group differences were observed across all cognitive domains, with the TD group performing best.
- The comorbid ADHD + RD group demonstrated the most pronounced deficits in attention, inhibition, and RAN.
- Both RD and ADHD groups showed weaknesses in attention and RAN; RD additionally impacted working memory, while ADHD affected inhibition.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive deficits in RD and ADHD are distinct but also overlap, supporting an additive model rather than an interaction.
- Children with comorbid ADHD + RD face compounded cognitive challenges.
- Findings emphasize the necessity of tailored, domain-specific interventions for children with RD and/or ADHD.
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