The Effect of Multidisciplinary Therapy on Language and Communication Skills in Children with ADHD: A Clinical Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Research on Children with Special Needs Department National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

2 Department of Psychology, American University In Cairo, Egypt

3 Children with Special Needs Research Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes people to be impulsive, not pay attention, and be hyperactive; there is evidence from clinical studies that multidisciplinary treatment works better than SLT alone.

Methods: The study was conducted on 30 children diagnosed with ADHD, ages 5 to 7, recruited from the phoniatrics clinic and neurology clinic, Center of Medical Excellence, National Research Centre, Cairo. Egypt. All participants went through the entire history-taking and examination process before starting therapy. They all undertook the REAL Scale and SB5; after both groups had completed a 6-month planned therapy by a speech and language pathologist with 17+ years' experience, their language skills were reassessed post-therapy.

Results: All variables increased after treatment in the two groups, but the magnitude of change of all variables was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group. Total RLS and RLS percentile Rank after treatment are the only two variables that show significant differences between the two groups. The two variables were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p=0.019 and p=0.045, respectively).

Conclusion: This study indicates that a multidisciplinary approach to treatment is much better than speech-language therapy alone for improving the language and communication skills of children with ADHD. Children whose treatments included speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, and extra help in school improved their receptive and expressive language skills

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History

  • Receive Date: 28 January 2025
  • Revise Date: 02 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 02 June 2025

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