COGNITIVE PROCESSING AND LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDERS

1. COGNITIVE PROCESSING AND LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDERS

2. I. ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDERS** • A. Definitions/ Facts • 3-5% of school age children have been diagnosed with ADHD in the U.S. • --Due to a combination of factors—genetics, dopamine imbalance, insufficiency of neurotransmitters

3. American Psychiatric AssociationDelineates 3 types of ADHD:** • Primarily inattentive (20-30%) • Primarily hyperactive (less than 15%) • Combination inattentive/hyperactive (50-75%)

4. Kaderavek 2011:

5. Blakemore-Brown:** • Research in the U.S. and Europe has shown that children with autism spectrum disorder as well as ADHD show overlapping characteristics. • Parents complained that outwardly normal children, mainly boys, seemed to “have a connection missing.”

6. Blakemore-Brown continued: • These boys were impulsive, did not listen to rules, were clumsy, and could not control their temper outbursts. • They lost track of time and parents had to breathe down their necks for every little task and deadline. • In both Europe and the U.S., professionals are working to disentangle the diagnoses as well as find their commonalities.

7. Tannock & Martinussen:** • Basal ganglia, regions of the cerebellum are significantly smaller in children with ADHD • Non-genetic factors: premature birth, maternal use of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, exposure to high levels of lead in early childhood

8. Researchers are showing that…

10. University of Michigan Health System, 2012: “Television and children” (www.med.umich.edu)

11. Computer Use and Executive Functioning (Morris, 2011; Westby, 2011)

12. Playing computer games can impair the development of the frontal lobe, the part of the brain that inhibits anti-social behavior**

15. II. SYMPTOMS** • Not diagnosed by standardized tests—”diagnosis is based on a careful assessment of the behavioral symptoms” (T & M) • Difficulties coping with everyday life

16. Specific Behaviors may Include:

18. III. POSSIBLE SPEECH-LANGUAGE CHARACTERISTICS

19. IV. MANAGEMENT OF ADHD

20. Popular current medications include:** • Cylert • Adderall • Strattera (not a stimulant; may not have much effect) • Ritalin • Concerta (time released—take one pill in the A.M., and lasts all day)

21. ADVANCE for SLPs & As, 8/6/07** • Research through the National Institute of Mental Health showed that intensive medication management alone or in combination with behavioral therapy produced better outcomes than just behavioral therapy or the usual community care.

22. V. IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERVENTION

26. Kowalski 2012 ASHA Schools Conference

27. Kowalski 2012:

28. Ebert & Kohnert, October 2011, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

30. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973:** • Civil rights statute that prohibits schools from discriminating against children with disabilities • Eligibility is based on the existence of a physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity • ADHD students qualify for classroom accommodations if they can’t learn under typical circumstances

31. What kind of accommodations do you think ADHD students need?

32. Remember…

33. Remember the gifts of ADHD:** • Creativity • Ability to think outside the box

35. Support for individuals with ADHD:**

36. How did you like this PowerPoint….?**