Visual-motor attention in children with ADHD: The role of automatic and controlled processes.
ADHD drags down visual-motor accuracy, especially when the brain juggles extra rules—so split the load.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hassiotis et al. (2022) watched kids with ADHD and typical kids do a visual-motor task. Sometimes the task added extra thinking work. The team timed and scored every response.
The study used a quasi-experimental design. It compared all ADHD subtypes against same-age peers without ADHD.
What they found
Kids with every ADHD subtype made more mistakes than peers. Extra cognitive load made the gap bigger.
The result was negative: ADHD meant lower accuracy, even when the task stayed simple.
How this fits with other research
Lin et al. (2021) saw the same pattern in a conceptual replication. They tested auditory and visual attention separately and found kids with ADHD could struggle in one channel yet do fine in the other.
Fenollar-Cortés et al. (2017) and Chiang et al. (2013) already showed that inattention, not hyperactivity, drives fine-motor and visuospatial problems. Angela’s team adds the new twist: dual-task load widens the gap.
Chueh et al. (2025) seems to disagree. They report that ADHD kids with strong motor skills score near typical on inhibitory control. The difference is sample: Ting-Yu studied only the motor-proficient subgroup, while Angela looked at the whole ADHD range. The papers fit once you account for who was tested.
Why it matters
Check your client’s visual-motor attention before you pile on instructions. If the task already taxes the eyes and hands, keep verbal prompts short or give them separately. For kids who love movement, build motor confidence first—Ting-Yu’s work hints this may free up brain power for other demands.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: there are evidence that children with ADHD exhibit a deficit both in automatic and controlled processes. AIMS: the present study aimed to examine the visual-motor attention and the influence of cognitive load through a dual task paradigm in children with ADHD compared with typical developing children (TD). METHODS AND PROCEDURES: 113 children with ADHD: 40 with subtype inattentive (ADHD- I group), 16 with subtype hyperactive (ADHD-H group), 57 with subtype combined (ADHD-C group), and 113 TD children (TD group) were recruited. We used a dual-task paradigm in which the primary task was a figure-tracing test whereas the second task was a digit span test. A figure-tracing test was used to evaluate visual motor attention. Based on the length and intersection of the lines, the figures of the primary task were categorized into simple and complex. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: the ADHD groups compared to the TD group showed a worse accuracy of performance in both condition with and without cognitive load. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The findings were discussed in light of the relationship between automatic and controlled processes involved in the visual-motor attention.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104193