This study focuses on the comorbidity between
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (
ADHD) symptoms and
speech sound disorder (
SSD).
SSD is a developmental disorder characterized by speech production errors that impact intelligibility. Previous research addressing this comorbidity has typically used heterogeneous groups of speech-language disordered children. This study employed more precise speech-language diagnostic criteria and examined
ADHD symptomatology in 108
SSD children between the ages of 4 and 7 years old with
specific language impairment (SLI) (n = 23, 14 males, 9 females) and without SLI (n = 85, 49 males, 36 females). We also examined whether a subcategory of
SSD, persistent (n = 39, 25 males, 14 females) versus normalized
SSD (n = 67, 38 males, 29 females), was associated with
ADHD and/or interacted with SLI to predict
ADHD symptomatology. Results indicated that participants in the
SSD + SLI group had higher rates of inattentive
ADHD symptoms than those in the
SSD-only and control groups. In addition, an unexpected interaction emerged such that children with SLI and normalized-
SSD had significantly higher
ADHD inattentive ratings than the other subgroups. A proposed explanation for this interaction is discussed.