An Eye‐Tracking Study: Comparison of Neuropsychological Profiles and Reading Performance of Children With Attention Deficit‐Hyperactivity Disorder and Dyslexia

ABSTRACT Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia are among the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. The cognitive mechanisms underlying these disorders have not yet been fully clarified. Comprehensive assessment of cognitive and reading performance may provide valuable information to reveal the cognitive mechanisms underlying these disorders. In our study, we aimed to compare the cognitive and reading performances of children with ADHD, dyslexia, and healthy children; to obtain objective data that could help elucidate the complex etiologies of ADHD and dyslexia through our results. In the Central Nervous System Vital Signs (CNSVS) phase of our study, the cognitive performances of children in the ADHD and dyslexia groups showed significant differences from each other and from healthy children in various areas. In the eye‐tracking phase of our study, the eye movements of the ADHD group during reading did not differ significantly from the healthy control group, while the eye movements of the dyslexia group showed significant differences from both the healthy control group and the ADHD group. Our study supports the view that ADHD and dyslexia cause significant impairment in various cognitive areas and shows that the eye movements of children with dyslexia during reading objectively reflect the difficulties they experience during reading and suggests that multidimensional assessment of cognitive functions may contribute to the elucidation of the complex cognitive mechanisms underlying these disorders.