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LA Times - Writing problems common in kids with ADHD

Published: 22 August 2011

Kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are more likely to have writing problems such as poor spelling and grammar than their peers, suggests a new study. And the difference may be especially conspicuous in girls with ADHD.

Study author Dr. Slavica Katusic, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., told Reuters Health that reading and math problems often raise red flags, but "written-language disorder is kind of overlooked." Writing "is a critical skill for academic success, social and behavioral well-being," she continued. And if writing problems aren't noticed or addressed early on, the kids can suffer long into adulthood, Katusic added.

Annette Majnemer, who has studied handwriting in kids with ADHD at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, told Reuters Health, "It might be partially the fact that they're inattentive and distractable and hyperactive." Motor skills and coordination problems may be partly to blame as well, Majnemer added.

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