Time Processing In Children With ADHD: A Naturalistic Approach

International audience; Previous studies of time perception in children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD) showed that these children perceive time differently than children without ADHD. The purpose of this study is to compare time perception in children with and without ADHD with a naturalistic time reproduction task. Moreover, we included questionnaires to investigate the subjective experience of time. Hundred and eighty children were tested; half of them had a diagnosis of ADHD and half were matched controls. The time reproduction task included 6 videos displaying 6 different actions. Children were asked to watch the video and reproduce duration of each action presented by either mime it or tapping on a table. Results confirmed temporal impairment in children with ADHD compared to controls; moreover, children without ADHD showed better performance when they were asked to mime the action. Results from the questionnaires also showed differences between children with and without ADHD in particular in younger participants.