Getting clued in: inferential processing and comprehension monitoring in boys with ADHD.

Objective: The present study examines the ability of children with ADHD to make inferences and monitor ongoing understanding of texts, to shed light on their academic difficulties.

Method: A total of 29 boys with ADHD and 41 comparison boys between the ages of 7 and 12 participated. Three tasks measure how boys create and evaluate inferences, particularly explanatory inferences, and how they monitor their understanding of story events and the connections among them.

Results: Boys with ADHD are less able than their comparison peers to make appropriate inferences, particularly explanatory inferences. They also have more trouble identifying text inconsistencies.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that difficulties in making inferences and monitoring ongoing comprehension among children with ADHD may contribute to story comprehension problems and in turn to academic difficulties experienced by these children. Interventions specifically focusing on understanding causal connections, creating inferences, and monitoring ongoing understanding of stories need to be investigated.