Assessment of Attention and Motion in Children with an Oral Language Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Following Language Intervention
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Abstract
Children diagnosed with an oral language disorder (OLD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been identified to have symptom overlap of core ADHD symptoms, thus misdiagnoses or true symptom overlap must be examined. Additionally, given that stimulant medication is the most popular treatment for children diagnosed with ADHD, the role of medication in remediating attention and movement in children with OLD and OLD/ADHD should be explored. Core ADHD symptoms in children with OLD and ADHD can be identified objectively using the QuotientTM, an objective CPT designed to measure core symptoms of ADHD (i.e., inattention, impulsivity, and movement). In 2009, Baker found the QuotientTM to be a useful diagnostic tool in the assessment of children with OLD and OLD/ADHD given its ability to discriminate OLD from OLD/ADHD children on variables of movement. The current study aimed to replicate the Baker (2009) findings by examining one year follow-up data. The current study also aimed to identify the effects of medication on attention and movement. The sample for the present study consisted of 35 children, between 6 and 13 years, with an oral language disorder. Twenty-two of the total sample also met diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Results of repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a factor for groups (OLD vs. OLD/ADHD or On Meds/Off Meds), a factor for time (T1 and T2), and a factor that represents the interaction term (Groups by Time) revealed significant diagnostic group differences in movement, significant medication condition group differences for attention and movement, significant improvements in attention and body control over time (i.e., 1 year), and significant improvements over time in an attention variable and a movement variable for children on medication testing. Suggestions addressing limitations of the current study are discussed for future direction.