Attention Deficit-Hyperactive Disorder Case Study

Studies show that on average, in a classroom of thirty children, there are approximately one to three students that are diagnosed as having Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). (ADDitude Magazine) ADHD is a neurobehavioral condition that usually begins in childhood and typically continues into adulthood. Some common behaviors of ADHD are: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Most people commonly know ADHD as just strictly behavioral issues, however, there are aspects of communication that can also be affected by this condition. In motor speech intervention articulation would be a main target that the Speech Language Pathologist would modify in therapy. However, on the language side of therapy the Speech Language Pathologist would intervene with techniques like pragmatics, …show more content…
Many times children with ADHD will have trouble with appropriate behavior qualities, like turn taking in conversation and holding appropriate eye contact, and using these behaviors in the context of conversation and gestures in social interactions. The Speech Language Pathologist will intervene by doing pragmatic therapy. Pragmatic therapy could include teaching concepts like, how to engage appropriately in conversation, and how to participate in nonverbal social interactions. It might be difficult to address these topics especially in children because of the lack of focus, and the amount of apathy, depending on the child. It is important to target pragmatic therapy because of the necessity of social language; if a child isn’t able to communicate in social settings, the person might not be accepted by their peers or by their social environment. “Frequently, children with ADHD are moving and thinking so quickly that they fail to slow down long enough to pick up on the nonverbal language and cues of others in their environment.” (Glenview, IL