Reading and ADHD - The Reciprocal Inter-Active Effects Uncovered

Martha Denckla, M.D.

Reading disability (dyslexia) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two common childhood disorders; both conditions often occur in the same child. There is evidence that children who have problems with reading frequently have difficulty with phonological processing and/or naming speed. Other evidence indicates that children with ADHD have executive function deficits (verbal short-term and working memory, planning and organization). The impact of ADHD-related executive function deficits on reading achievement, in particular on reading comprehension, has not been determined.

The research discussed by Dr. Denckla will address how single word reading, reading rate, language (vocabulary, syntax), and executive functions contribute to deficits in reading comprehension. She will further link the presence of executive function deficits in children with poor reading comprehension to the presence of ADHD. More specifically, executive functions may influence the fluency and automaticity aspects of decoding by slowing down naming speed.

The first goal of Dr. Denckla's research is to determine the relative contribution of different cognitive skills (executive functions, language, etc.) to reading comprehension problems. The second goal is to determine how the presence of combined dyslexia and ADHD influences reading comprehension, especially with regard to reading rate and other components of executive function.

To fully understand the role of reading rate and other executive functions in poor reading comprehenders with ADHD, this research explores rapid naming "in depth" because naming speed is a powerful predictor of reading rate and verbal working memory (a component of executive functioning). Dr. Denckla's research investigated rapid naming and verbal working memory from a neuropsychological perspective. In addition, functional MRI (fMRI) was used to examine activations of frontal regions of the brain underlying verbal working memory to reveal differences between dyslexia and ADHD groups.

Martha Bridge Denckla, M.D. has received national recognition and numerous awards for her outstanding work in the field of learning disabilities and neurology. She is currently Director of the Developmental Cognitive Neurology Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also Professor of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.