Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities (LD) are the most commonly used diagnoses for children who experience academic and behavioral difficulties. Not only do questions concerning ADHD and LD comprise the majority of referrals made to psychologists, psychiatrists, and other professionals, but many children diagnosed with one of these disorders also meet diagnostic criteria for the other disorder (1). Educators, other professionals, and parents often ask questions such as: What are the differences between ADHD and LD? Why do ADHD and LD co-occur so frequently? What impact do the similarities and differences between these disorders have on developing and implementing effective interventions for these children? Although many of the current answers and debates regarding these questions can be examined within many of the chapters contained in this book, this chapter focuses on a unique aspect of ADHD—i.e., the co-occurrence of ADHD and LD. This chapter provides an overview of the definitional issues presented by ADHD and LD, and discusses the notion of comorbidity and co-occurrence of these two disorders. A major portion of this chapter is devoted to reviewing many of the key studies in which the overlap between ADHD and LD has been examined, with a particular focus on ADHD and reading disabilities (RD), ADHD and writing disabilities (WD), and ADHD and math disabilities (MD). The chapter concludes with evidence-based directions for the field based on the available literature.