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Highly Inattentive Presentation

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Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is found in approximately 5% of children and is characterized by disruptive patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity that persists for at least six months (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The prevalence of ADHD makes it an especially important disorder to study. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) lists three different presentations within ADHD based on the two separate categories of symptoms (Inattention and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity): Predominantly Inattentive Presentation, Predominately Hyperactive/Impulsive Presentation, and Combined Presentation. …show more content…

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) mentions that children with ADHD may be susceptible to cognitive difficulties. Research has shown that children who presented problems related to cognition tended to show a greater benefit from engaging in private speech than those who did not have such difficulties when completing tasks (Aro et al., 2015), providing a possible explanation for why those with ADHD are likely to use more private speech. Given the inattentive aspect of ADHD, research suggests that children with ADHD are likely to use more private speech than their peers because engaging in private speech is helpful for children when trying to focus their attention to a task (Aro et al., 2015; Patrick & Abravanel, 2000). Also related to issues with attention, Berk & Potts (1991) have found in their research that children with ADHD tend to engage in more forms of private speech that are meant to help guide themselves through the activity and mediate their behavior while working on a task. For the most part, private speech in children with ADHD seems to be used to focus attention and guide behavior to progress towards a solution to the task (Aro et al., 2015; Berk & Potts, 1991; Patrick & Abravanel,

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