The Role of Gestures in Language Comprehension in Children with ADHD and DLD

Language is more than words—it is an intricate system intertwined with attention, cognition, and gestures. These factors are often disrupted in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), leading to severe communication problems. While ADHD is typically characterized by inattention and impulsivity, research increasingly highlights its impact on linguistic processes. DLD has a pervasive effect on language acquisition but also has overlapping cognitive deficits with ADHD. This raises a critical question: Can visual attention processes and gestures be strategies to enhance language comprehension in these groups?

ADHD is generally associated with difficulty in sustaining attention and behavior regulation, but its impact on language development is typically minimized. An article published by the National Library of Medicine titled Pragmatic Deficits and Social Impairment in Children with ADHD indicates that children with ADHD can develop linguistic impairments, particularly in such areas as pragmatic language. This could be seen through difficulties in processing social cues, maintaining coherence of conversation, and interpreting figurative language such as sarcasm.

Similarly, a review of ADHD and DLD identifies that both disorders share “overlapping symptoms, especially in language impairments and executive function deficits” (Méndez-Freije et al.). Whereas children with ADHD struggle to coordinate sentences and provide them with meaning, those with DLD carry more extensive impairments in grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. They are not secondary linguistic consequences to attention deficits but rather follow from underlying working memory, processing speed, and verbal reasoning impairments.

Given these challenges, gestures and other nonverbal cues can become valuable tools to facilitate language comprehension. The study “Language Proficiency Impacts the Benefits of Co-Speech Gesture for Narrative Understanding Through a Visual Attention Mechanism" by Dr. Elizabeth Wakefield and Natalia Zielinski discusses how gestures can improve comprehension through visual cues that support spoken languages. Gestures may help bridge the gap between auditory input and cognitive understanding for children with ADHD and DLD. 

Additionally, ADHD has also been linked to deficits in auditory attention, where children have difficulties processing lengthy verbal instructions. Nonverbal cues, such as pointing, and facial expressions, can complement verbal communication by directing attention and reinforcing meaning.

As further research uncovers the complexities of language and attention, one thing remains consistently evident: communication is a multimodal process. By employing both verbal and nonverbal methods, we can create more effective learning environments and provide children with ADHD and DLD with the support they require to develop stronger language skills.

References: 

Ahlstedt, Emily, et al. “Language Issues in Individuals with ADHD.” Psychology of Language, 15 Dec. 2017, pressbooks.pub/psycholinguisticsfall2017section2/chapter/language-issues-in-individuals-with-adhd/#:~:text=Children%20with%20ADHD%20can%20develop,et%20al.%2C%202017). 

Méndez-Freije, Inmaculada, et al. “Language Skills in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder: A Systematic Review.” Children (Basel, Switzerland), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 21 Dec. 2023, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814652/#:~:text=Though%20language%20challenges%20are%20not,modalities%2C%20resulting%20in%20overall%20language. 

Staikova, Ekaterina, et al. “Pragmatic Deficits and Social Impairment in Children with ADHD.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2013, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3648855/. 

Zielinski, Natalia, and Elizabeth M. Wakefield. Language Proficiency Impacts the Benefits of Co-Speech Gesture for Narrative Understanding Through a Visual Attention Mechanism.