Do attention deficit hyperactive disorders cause reading problems?

Abstract

Children diagnosed as attention deficit hyperactive disordered (ADHD) do not comprise a unitary homogeneous group. Despite considerable research attempting to establish the validity of ADHD as a diagnostic entity, a number of researchers question whether the distinction between ADHD and other child disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD) can be clearly established (Prior & Sanson, 1986; Werry, Reeves & Elkind, 1987). Short attention span, poor concentration and poor memory may also occur in both ADHD and reading-disabled (RD) children. Academic underachievement is also reported in a substantial proportion of ADHD children (Carlson, Lahey & Neeper, 1986). August and Garfinkel (1990), for example, found that 39% of children diagnosed ADHD were also found to have a co-existing reading disorder. A study by McGee and Shore (1988) estimated that 80% of children with ADHD had a co-occurring learning disability in reading, writing and spelling. This conclusion is also supported by other studies which have found a higher than normal incidence of academic problems existing with significant attention problems (Barkley, 1990; Barkley, Fisher, Edelbrock & Smallish, 1990).

As the two disorders occur so frequently together it has consequently become very difficult to disentangle the degree to which ADHD and learning disorder contribute to each other or are in fact separate entities. The issue regarding comorbidity or causality remains perplexing - is the learning disability a secondary cause arising from inattention and hyperactivity, or is the child inattentive and hyperactive because they are frustrated at their inability to succeed academically (August & Garfinkel, 1990)?

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