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 story events by children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants listened to and retold 2 stories. Two properties of the stories' causal structure were derived: the number of causal connections an event has to other events and whether an event is on the causal chain linking events from beginning to end. The extent to which causal properties and the more subjective property of perceived importance predicted recall in the 2 groups of children was examined. Each property predicted recall, but there were group differences in sensitivity to causal structure that 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 for understanding academic and social difficulties common in children with ADHD.