The effects of story structure on the recall of stories in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

This study explored influences of story structure properties on recall of s tory events by children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity di sorder (ADHD). Participants listened to and retold 2 stories. Two propertie s of the stories' causal structure were derived: the number of causal conne ctions an event has to other events and whether an event is on the causal c hain linking events from beginning to end. The extent to which causal prope rties and the more subjective property of perceived importance predicted re call in the 2 groups of children was examined. Each property predicted reca ll, but there were group differences in sensitivity to causal structure tha t were moderated by intelligence level and gender. Variations in amount and allocation of cognitive resources applied to comprehension contributed to performance of children with ADHD. There are implications far understanding academic and social difficulties common in children with ADHD.