Pragmatic language difficulties in children with hyperactivity and attention problems: An integrated review

Abstract

Background Diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suggest a range of difficulties in the pragmatic aspects of language, including excessive talking and interrupting others. Such difficulties have been periodically reported over several decades in studies on the language abilities of children with features of ADHD, yet a comprehensive review of the literature has been lacking. Aims This review aims to integrate evidence from several lines of research from 1979 to the present on pragmatic language difficulties in children with ADHD or symptoms of ADHD. Methods & Procedures A comprehensive search of empirical literature on pragmatic language in children with ADH..