Visual Attention, Orthographic Word Recognition, and Executive Functioning in Children With ADHD, Dyslexia, or ADHD + Dyslexia

Abstract

Objective: The current study examined the differences in visual selective attention, orthographic word recognition, and executive functioning. Method: One hundred and forty Ecuadorian children in third and fifth grades of elementary school (8-10 years old) participated in the study—35 with only dyslexia (DD), 35 with the combined type of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD-C), 35 with disorders (DD + ADHD-C), and 35 typical development children (TD). Results: The Ecuadorian children with DD and/or ADHD-C in this age range usually have difficulties in visual selective attention, and also in orthographic word recognition. The executive functioning results showed that such functioning was worse in the ADHD-C groups (with or without DD), but not in the DD group, supporting the dissociation between DD and ADHD-C in executive functioning in this population. Conclusion: The DD + ADHD-C comorbidity produces worse deficits compared to DD, but not compared to ADHD-C, supporting the idea that there are common factors in DD and ADHD-C.