The written expression abilities of adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
One in five adolescents with ADHD has clinically weak writing organization—easy to miss if you only test reading and math.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Faso et al. (2016) looked at 110 middle-school students who had an ADHD diagnosis. They gave each teen a 30-minute writing probe scored for organization, grammar, and attention to detail.
The team used school curriculum tests, not lab gear. They wanted to know how many kids with ADHD write far below grade level.
What they found
About one in five teens with ADHD scored in the impaired range for written expression. The biggest gaps were in organizing ideas and catching small details.
Spelling and handwriting were near average; the trouble was higher-level planning.
How this fits with other research
Wang et al. (2025) extends these results. They show that when dyslexia rides along with ADHD, handwriting also drags—speed drops and letters get messy. Together the two papers map a chain: weak planning (J et al.) plus messy letter formation (Jiuju) create a double barrier.
Dowker (2020) bundles the finding into a bigger picture. Her review says expect math and writing deficits in most kids with ADHD. J et al. gives the exact head-count for writing.
Fabio et al. (2012) offers a fix. They found hypermedia lessons boost how-to knowledge in ADHD middle-schoolers. Pair their tech-rich tasks with the writing targets J et al. flagged and you get a ready-made treatment package.
Why it matters
Screen writing organization the same way you screen reading and math. A quick 30-minute story probe can spot the one in five who need help. Then borrow hypermedia tools from Angela et al. to teach outlines and color-coded drafts. Start there before you worry about spelling lists.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often experience deficits in academic achievement. Written expression abilities in this population have not been extensively studied but existing prevalence estimates suggest that rates of comorbid writing underachievement may be substantially higher than rates of comorbid reading and mathematics underachievement. The current study examined written expression abilities in a school-based sample of 326 middle school age students with ADHD. The prevalence of written expression impairment, the associations between written expression and academic outcomes, and specific patterns of written expression were investigated. Students with ADHD in this sample experienced written expression impairment (17.2-22.4%) at a similar rate to reading impairment (17.0-24.3%) and at a slightly lower rate than mathematics impairment (24.7-36.3%). Students' written expression abilities were significantly associated with school grades and parent ratings of academic functioning, above and beyond the influence of intelligence. Analyses of patterns suggest that students with ADHD exhibit greater deficits in written expression tasks requiring organization and attention to detail, especially in the context of a complex task.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2016 · doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2581