About a third of children with ADHD have or have had speech and language difficulties. A similar number of children seen initially for speech problems have ADHD and this rises to two-thirds of children who have both speech and learning problems.

Common speech difficulties include delay in normal speech development, lack of speech clarity, and problems in sequencing. There are often problems in verbal expression; words or sentences often remain unfinished. Stuttering, hesitations and stammering are more frequent.

There has been a tendency to assume that all concentration problems in children with speech and language difficulties are because of the frustration of and struggle with the speech problems. Speech and language therapies need to keep in mind the likelihood of associated ADHD.

Significant language difficulties, frequently semantic pragmatic language disorder; or the misunderstanding of the subtleties of language, are also seen in children with ADHD and are more resistant to management. The more severe language problems, especially when there are obsessions and difficulties with social skills may sometimes be difficult to differentiate from children who are diagnosed as having Asperger’s Syndrome. Significant speech and language problems, especially stuttering, can have a major impact on a child’s self-esteem and socialising ability.