Children With ADHD Have Increased Risk of Developing Writing Problems

Children suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at a greater risk of developing writing problems compared to other children and this is more apparent among girls, a new study suggests. Researchers led by Dr Slavica Katusic of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota conducted the study and found that the children could struggle with poor spelling or grammar and unless it is tackled early on, the problem will remain well into their adulthood.

The researchers observed more than 6,000 kids during the period between 1976 and 1982 and found that 359 children displayed signs of suffering from ADHD. The researchers found that majority of the kids with ADHD struggled with writing as well as reading with over 65 percent of boys having the problem compared to just over 16 percent among those without the condition.

The difference was more marked among girls with 57 percent of those struggling with the problem compared with less than 10 percent of the girls without ADHD. Writing in the report, Katusic said that both the parents and the doctors have to make sure that such problems are tackled early on among those with ADHD.

“When parents notice something or teachers notice something, (kids) have to be treated not only for ADHD, but they have to be tested to see if they have other learning problems. Clinicians and the teachers have to emphasize that the testing has to be done for everything, every kind of learning disability. It has to be identified early and the treatment has to start early”, she said.

Source-Medindia