OBTAINING SYNTHXIC LANGUAGE IN TEN YEARS OLD CHILDREN WHO

HAVE ADHD (InterferenceAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

PEMEROLEHAN BAHASA SINTAKSIS  PADA ANAK USIA SEPULUH TAHUN
YANG MEMILIKI GANGGUAN BERBAHASA BERCIRIKAN ADHD (Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

Nushashikin, Agustina
Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia
Universitas Negeri Padang
Indonesia
nurhashikin99@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Language disorder is a language study discussed in learning. This disturbance can disturb
someone in speaking. Learning about language disorders develops along with language
studies. One of the language disorders in language acquisition is ADHD or Attetion Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder. The aim of this study is to provide data related to language
disorders in children with language disorders characterized by ADHD. Language skills of
children with ADHD experience speech delays. ADHD sufferers can interfere with children's
development in terms of cognitive, behavior, socialization, and communication. ADHD
disorders are also chronic syndromes that can negatively affect daily life. The method used is
based on the qualitative description method, namely the research method by providing an
explanation in the form of descriptions based on data and various scientific references.
Scientific references were collected, analyzed, studied, and the results showed that ADHD is
a neurodevelopmental disorder in which a child presents significant problems due to
inattention. Symptoms of this ADHD sufferer are individuals who are easily distracted,
difficult to maintain attention, are annoying, and restless. The subject of this study was a 10
year old boy named Muhammad Rachelie, who has a language disorder characterized by
ADHD. The object of this research is the acquisition of language and syntactic errors. Syntax
is a branch of linguistics that discusses the ins and outs of discourse, the trade-offs between
words, phrases, and clauses. The data collection technique used in this study was to use
Listen, See, and Speak (SLC). The research instrument is in the form of a researcher himself
(human instrument). The results of this study indicate that the acquisition of syntax in
children with ADHD characteristics includes nominal phrases, verbal phrases, prepositions,
and ordered sentences.
Keywords: language acquisition, syntax, adhd

ABSTRAK
Gangguan berbahasa merupakan kajian bahasa yang dibahas dalam pembelajaran
pemerolehan bahasa. Gangguan ini dapat mengganggu seseorang dalam berbahasa.
Pembelajaran mengenai gangguan berbahasa berkembang bersamaan dengan studi bahasa.
Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu memberikan data terkait gangguan berbahasa pada anak penderita
gangguan berbahasa yang bercirikan ADHD. Metode yang digunakan berdasarkan metode
deskripsi kualitatif yaitu metode riset dengan memberikan penjelasan berupa deskripsi
berdasarkan data dan berbagai referensi ilmiah. Referensi ilmiah dikumpulkan, dianalisis,
dikaji, dan didapatkan hasil bahwa ADHD merupakan gangguan perkembangan saraf di mana
seorang anak menampilkan masalah yang signifikan karena kurangnya perhatian. Gejala dari
penderita ADHD ini adalah individu mudah terganggu sulit untuk mempertahankan
perhatian, mengganggu, dan gelisah. Subjek penelitian ini adalah seorang anak laki-laki
berusia 10 tahun yang memiliki gangguan berbahasa yang bercirikan ADHD. Objek dalam
penelitian ini adalah pemerolehan bahasa dan kesalahan sintaksis. Teknik pengumpulan data
yang dilakukan dalam penelitian ini adalah menggunakan Simak, Lihat, dan Cakap (SLC).
Instrumen penelitian ini berupa peneliti sendiri (human instrument). Hasil penelitian ini
menunjukkan bahwa pemerolehan sintaksis pada anak penderita yang bercirikan ADHD
antara lain frasa nominal, frasa verbal, frasa depan, dan kalimat suruh. 

Kata Kunci : pemerolehan bahasa, sintaksis, adhd

1. INTRODUCTION 

Language is a communication tool to express oneself and transfer someone's ideas to

other people or interlocutors. Through language, we can  understand the thoughts and
feelings of the interlocutor or in other words, language is an ability that humans have to
communicate or exchange ideas with others using signs. Commonly used signs can be in the
form of movements and words that are generated from human speech. Language consists of
several collections of words which have their own meaning. As children grow and develop,
the language they master increases according to quantity, breadth and difficulty. Early
childhood usually has been able to develop skills in language and speaking through
conversations that can attract other people. 

The syntactic ability of children will be seen at the early age of 18 months, although
some children experience it at the age of 1 (one) or 2 (two) years or even more. Children will
go through the natural language acquisition stage while still in their mother's womb. The
process of children understanding language and recognizing communication with their
environment verbally can also be called the acquisition of children's language. Children's
language acquisition can be said to have the character of continuity, has a series of unity,
which moves from the utterance of a simple word to a more complex word combination.
Acquisition of language above will be different for children with speech disorders. Children
with speech disorders are generally experienced by children under the age of 5 (five) years.
This is due to several factors such as difficulty understanding symbols and expressing
sentences. Children with speech disorders often perform poorly because they have to work
harder to read, understand word for word and express their thoughts. This research was
conducted to determine language acquisition in children who have special needs in the form
of speech disorders, both in writing and orally. Some of these things will be discussed in this
article.  
 Language is the main component in communication besides gestures, tone, and so on.
Language has an important role in human life, especially relating to communicative
functions. Language as a means of connecting and identifying 
someone who is used to interact or communicate with one another. There are several views
which state that language is the result of stimulus-response behavior, every behavior in
language is the result of a stimulus, thus if students want to get speech, students must
increase the acceptance of the stimulus. Encouragement in the form of other people's
language behavior is the source of the language activity process of students (Iskandarwassid
& Dadang, in Nugrahaeni, 2020: 3). 

Language is a tool used by humans to communicate with fellow humans. According

to Chomsky (Suroso, 2016: 24) language is a collection of sentences consisting of a series of
sounds that contain meaning. Thus, people who use language as a means of social
communication cannot be separated from the activities of compiling and composing
sentences to form a conversation or discourse. It can be said that language is essentially the
use of sentences. In linguistics, the branch of science that studies the formation of words into
phrases, then clauses and sentences is called syntax. 

Language disorder means obstruction, obstacle, and something that causes a person
unable to speak articulated sounds, or words to express, say, and convey thoughts, ideas, and
feelings. One of the language disorders is children with disabilities in which the child has
difficulty communicating, language delays, and sluggish thinking processes. In this case
children with disabilities can only take part in the learning process at special schools.  

There are many subjects taught in special education which are the same as education
in general, including Indonesian. These subjects are subjects that emphasize the learning
aspects of communicating. In addition, Indonesian language lessons are subjects that provide
teaching reading, writing, composing, reading, dictating, speaking or telling something. With
the Indonesian language learning in schools, students will be trained to use good and correct
Indonesian according to spelling, besides that students can practice to express thoughts,
feelings into written and spoken form.
Education is a social process, which has the function of introducing students through
a process of socialization in society. Education is important for a person's life both in the
present and in the future. Education can provide a lot of knowledge and information for
everyone, everyone has the right to get a proper education, regardless of status, religion,
ethnicity, race, or certain groups. The provision of education for children with disabilities can
be carried out through two methods / institutions, namely inclusive education and special
education. 

According to Barkley, one of the developmental disorders in children that also has a
significant effect on children's language acquisition at school is ADHD (Attention Deficit /
Hiperactivity Disorder). ADHD is a neurological condition that involves problems of
incidence and hyperactivity-impulsivity that develop inconsistently with the child's age.
Furthermore, it is a developmental malfunction in the brain circuits that regulate inhibition
and self-control. This loss of self-regulation blocks another important function of the brain
that is responsible for maintaining attention. 

ADHD disorder is a psychiatric disorder or behavior disorder that is most common,

both at school and at home. This disorder is one of the disorders that is often found in
children's behavior disorders. In recent years ADHD has become a problem that has received
a lot of attention and attention among the medical community and the general public. Bradley
& Golden said the same thing, namely ADHD is the most common psychological problem
recently, around 3-10% occurred in the United States, 3-7% in Germany, 5-10% in Canada
and New Zealand, in In Indonesia, the incidence rate is still uncertain, although this disorder
appears to be quite common and is often found in preschool and school age children
(Judarwanto, W, 2006). Meanwhile, according to Saputro (2005) in Indonesia, the population
of elementary school children is 16.3% of the total population, namely 25.85 million
children. Based on these data, it is estimated that there will be an additional 9,000 new cases
of ADHD. Most parents or teachers still consider children with these disorders to be
“naughty” or “lazy” children. Even though children with these disorders if they do not get
proper help, will experience learning difficulties, poor learning achievement, failing at
school, disturbing behavior, their attitudes seem difficult to be accepted by their environment
and even tend to be disliked by parents or teachers.
ADHD kids in school are often not in their chairs when they should be sitting. Or if
they sit on chairs, they won't last long. They will talk continuously, shout to disturb other
friends, run and jump without a clear goal and not a single academic task can be completed.
Management of cases of ADHD sufferers is through medication or pharmacology. However,
experts generally do not recommend drugs as a single therapy. Neurological stimulant drugs
that are generally given to hyperactive children. The 
 behavior of children with ADHD is often considered a life disability that interferes
with the sufferer's social activities. ADHD is a disorder that affects the development of
increased motor activity in children so that it affects children's activities that are unusual and
tend to be excessive. ADHD is characterized by a child's inability to focus and maintain
attention, control activity levels, and act impulsively toward something. In general, children
with ADHD will begin to have problems when they enter a playgroup or school. Children
with ADHD will have difficulty focusing so they cannot complete the tasks they are assigned
to. 

2. LITERATURE REVIEW 

2.1 Language Acquisition 

Children will go through the natural language acquisition stage while still in their
mother's womb. The process of children understanding language and recognizing
communication with their environment verbally can also be called the acquisition of
children's language. Children's language acquisition can be said to have the character of
continuity, has a series of unity, which moves from the utterance of a simple word to a more
complex word combination. According to Kiparsky (Tarigan, 1986: 243) language
acquisition is a process used by children to adjust a series of increasingly complicated
hypotheses, or theories that are still hidden or hidden that might occur, with the words of
their parents until he chooses, by some measure or from that language. 
Kiparsky's explanation can be seen from daily observations of the development of a
child (in this case a normal child) processing language skills. Usually what these children do,
among others, starts with hearing and observing the sounds of the language around them
without prompting or deliberately. 
Then over time what is heard and what is observed develops continuously step by step in
accordance with the development of intellectual abilities and the socio-cultural background
that forms it. So it can be concluded that language acquisition is a process in which children
learn and then gain fluency in language. 
2.2 Definition of ADHD Disorders 

Peters and Douglas (in Gold Stein 1995) describe "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder" (ADHD), as a disorder that causes individuals to have a tendency to experience
problems with attention, self-control, and the need to always seek stimulation. Barkley
(2006) describes ADHD as an obstacle to regulating and maintaining regulatory compliance
and the consequences of behavior itself. The disturbance has an impact on the emergence of
problems to inhibit, initiate, or sustain a response to a situation. Based on the description
above, ADHD can be understood as a neurological disorder that causes problems with
concentration, self-control, and hyperactivity / impulsivity in children, making it difficult for
children to inhibit, initiate, or maintain a response to a situation. 

ADHD is a complex health condition characterized by an inability to gather and

maintain attention, modulate activity levels, and moderate impulsive actions. ADHD is a
chronic syndrome that can negatively affect everyday life, including activities at home,
interpersonal relationships, and learning at school. 

2.2.1 Characteristics of Difficulty Behavioral Children with ADHD 

Children who move a lot but are still within normal limits are usually directed by a
goal and can control their behavior. However, there are some children who show movements
without being directed by a goal and without clear reasons and seem unable to adapt their
behavior to demands, teachers and parents. Children who show the above description are
children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or hyperkinetic disorder or “Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD). Concentration disorder or hyperkinetic disorder is
the most common psychiatric disorder or behavior disorder in children, both at school and at
home. The clinical appearance of ADHD can be detected 
early, namely from the age of the baby. At the infant's age, they appear very sensitive to
sound and light, cry, scream, find it difficult to stay still, have very little sleep and wake up
frequently. He also often experiences colic, has difficulty eating or drinking either breast
milk or bottle milk, cannot be comforted or carried, refuses to be loved, excess saliva,
sometimes such as thirst, often asks for a drink, "head banging" (hitting the head, hitting the
head, dropping the head. backward) and often excessive anger (Judarwanto, 2006; Barkley,
2006). 

Children with ADHD show fidgeting or wriggling hands and feet in chairs, leaving
the chair in situations that call for quiet sitting, running or climbing, having difficulty playing
quietly. Children tend to take risks that most normal children would not. They are always
hurt, but never learn from experience. In addition they will talk continuously, shout, annoy
friends. They become disorganized, often forgetting or losing important equipment and items.
Most parents or teachers still perceive children with this disorder as "naughty" or "lazy".
Other signs of symptoms in older children are actions that focus on one thing only and tend
to act carelessly, get confused easily, forget school lessons and homework. Difficulty doing
assignments at school and at home, difficulty listening, difficulty carrying out some
commands. He is also often blunt talk, impatient, rowdy and complicated talk, restless and
overreacting, in a hurry, talks a lot and likes to make noise and likes to interrupt
conversations and interfere with other people's conversations. From the description above, it
can be concluded that what is meant by behavioral difficulties is an activity that is excessive
or not in accordance with the level of development, especially motor and / or vocal activities. 

2.2.3 Aetiology 

Causes ADHD is understood as a dysregulation of certain neurotransmitters in the

brain that makes it more difficult for a person to possess or regulate internal and external
stimuli. Several neuorotransmitters, including dopamine and norepinephrine, affect the
production, use, regulation of other neurotransmitters as well as some brain structures.
Problems with the regulation of certain brain functions appear to be concentrated in the front
lobes which make it more difficult for a child with ADHD to control input from other parts 
of the brain. The frontal area of the brain just behind the forehead is said to control the
executive function of behavior. The executive function is responsible for memory,
organization, inhibiting behavior, maintaining attention, self-control and planning for the
future. Without sufficient dopamine and neurotransmitters, the front lobes are poorly
stimulated and cannot perform their complex functions effectively. Ease of distraction and
inattention from a brain function point of view is a failure to "stop" or eliminate unwanted
internal thoughts or strong stimuli. Rapid mood swings and over-sensitivity are the result of
the brain having trouble tapping the parts of the brain that regulate motor movements and
emotional responses. That is what keeps children from waiting, delays gratification and
hinders action.  

The results of research by Cantwell (1975) and Morrison & Stewart (1973) reported
that the biological parents of ADHD children experienced hyperactivity more than the
adoptive parents of ADHD children. This shows that the role of heredity is very large as one
of the factors causing this disorder. Brown says ADHD is thought to be essentially a
chemical problem in the brain's management system. The areas of the brain that regulate
attention and behavior drives are considered inactive compared to uninterrupted children.
From the observation of prefrontal lesions in individuals with traumatic brain injury, they
also tend to exhibit hyperactivity, distracbility or impulsive behavior and deficits in executive
function. Neuropsychological research demonstrates the frontal cortex and circuits
connecting the executive functions of the ganglia ward. Catecholamines are the main
neurotransmitter functions related to frontal lobe brain function. In patients with ADHD there
is a weakness in brain activity in the lower right and left caudate prefrontal cortex which is
related to the effect of time delay on motor response to sensory stimuli. 

Other etiological factors that are said to have a contribution in causing ADHD are as
follows. 

a. Biological factors 

Diet, cigarette and alcohol contamination, smoking during pregnancy, and low birth
weight (LBW) are believed to lead to ADHD symptoms. However, it is not one of 
the main causes of ADHD. Pregnancy and complications during childbirth predispose to
ADHD. 

b. Psychological Factors 

Chronic conflict in families, decreased family cohesion, and exposure to parental

psychopathology (especially mothers) are more common in ADHD families than in normal
families. It is currently unclear whether childhood exposure to violence is a risk factor for
ADHD. 

c. Genetic factors 

Genetic is believed to play an important role in the development of ADHD. Based on

several studies that have been conducted, the average genetic factor influencing the
occurrence of ADHD is 77%.  

The Continuous Performance Test (CPT) is one of the most frequently used tests to
assess attention and alertness and is relevant in identifying ADHD. Abnormal CPT is found
in adults and children with ADHD. In diagnosing ADHD, we know what is called the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). There has been a
development in understanding about ADHD over the years, down to the now commonly used
DSM-IV. DSM-IV divides ADHD into 3 types, namely inattentive, impulsive hyperactivity,
and a combination of both. The criteria for each type of DSM-IV require 6 - 9 symptoms in
each category. The combined type is the most frequent, accounting for about 50% -70% of all
ADHD sufferers, followed by the inattentive type 20% -30%, and the hyperactive-impulsive
type <15%. 

2.3. Syntax Abilitystructure is 

The earliest syntacticseen at about 18 months of age although in some children it is

seen at the age of 1 year or even more than 2 years. Initially a two-word sentence. Two-word
series, differ by considering the context in which they are used. Just considering the meaning
of a word alone, it is impossible for us to grasp the meaning 
of that one word sentence. Tarigan (1984) states that syntax is a branch of grammar that talks
about sentence structure, clauses, and phrases. By Kridalaksana (1982) a sentence is a
language unit that is relatively independent, has a final intonation pattern and actually and
potentially consists of a clause, for example, I eat rice. The clause is a linguistic form
consisting of a subject and a predicate. Then what is meant by a phrase? Phrases are
grammatical units that do not exceed the limits of the subject or predicate function (Ramlan,
1978). 

In relation to this, Tarigan and Sulistyaningsih (1979) and Semi (1990) suggest that
language errors in the syntactic field include: phrase errors, clause errors, and sentence errors.
Here are some examples of incorrect phrases, clauses and sentences as follows. 

2.3.1. Phrase Errors A 

number of incorrect verb phrases due to their incorrect structure because the adverb
or modality comes after the verb. Learning should have learned Drinking should not have not
been drinking. 

2.3.2. Clause 

Errors Common language errors in syntax, especially in terms of clauses, such as

adding auxiliary verbs in equational clauses. My father is an elementary teacher should my
father an elementary teacher. 
2.3.3. Sentence Errors Sentences 

that are not subject to prepositions when writing or speaking with other people in
formal situations, sometimes use sentences that are not subject to because there are
conjunctions such as in, on, for, to put at the beginning of the sentence. Thus, the sentence is
not subject to, for example, in the meeting discussing various problems. In order for the
sentence to become subject to matter, the meeting should have discussed various issues. 
3. METHODOLOGY 
3.1 Research Approach and Design
The research approach used is qualitative research with a case study research design.
Qualitative research aims to understand a phenomenon, regarding what is experienced by
research subjects (Moleong, 2009). Case studies are a way to study and understand individual
and group development in depth and comprehensively, in order to help and develop the
subject (Winkle & Hastuti, 2004). 

3.2 Research Subjects and Objects The  

subject of this study was a child who has a disorder characterized by ADHD named
Muhammad Rahel. The object of this research is a method of learning to recognize syntax
acquisition in children with ADHD.  

3.3 Procedureresearch  

Asemenon the subject, the assessment conducted on the subject, namely:  

1) Observation activities of the subject at home 

2) The questioning of the subject's parents  

4) tests the ability of syntax 

3.4 Data Collection and Analysis Methods  

Data collection was conducted through observation study and the data
wawancara.Analisis This research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive technique.
The data analysis process includes data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and
drawing conclusions.  
4. RESULTS AND FINDINGS 

4.1 Subject Conditions and Problems 

ADHD is a complex health condition characterized by an inability to gather and

maintain attention, modulate activity levels, and moderate impulsive actions. ADHD is a
chronic syndrome that can negatively affect everyday life, including activities at home,
interpersonal relationships, and learning at school. 

Syntax defects include the incorrect placement of nouns and verbs, as well as the use
of transitional verbs without objects. Errors in syntax are considered part of the disorder in
language if it continues at an age when this habit should have been lost. Sequences, tenses,
intonation, and particle or task words aretools 
syntactic. In general, the syntactic structure consists of a subject (S), predicate (P), object
(O), and description (K). Syntax units are in the form of words, phrases, clauses, and
sentences. In syntactic units there are syntactic functions consisting of S, P, O, K elements
which are "empty boxes" or "empty places" which will be filled with something in the form
of a category and has a certain role. 

4.2 Problem Analysis  

Based on the research that has been done, it is obtained data from parents that the
acquisition of language in children who have language disorders characterized by ADHD is
different from normal children. This difference is very visible from the behavior and
communication patterns produced by children with ADHD. Muhammad Rahel showed signs
of decline in language proficiency at the age of about 2 years. At the time of her sensitivity to
language, Rahel was taken care of by her quiet grandmother, so she did not receive adequate
stimulus to develop language skills. Rahel's parents also could not bring their child to the
Psychology Doctor because of limited funds. 
The word recognition lesson was given to Rachel, but she didn't seem to like the
lesson, she could only focus for less than ten minutes. Rachel's attention did not last long in
accepting the lessons her parents conveyed. This could be due to the materials or learning
methods that are not very attractive to Rachel. 
Rahel's parents also informed that Rahel's language acquisition was delayed. This
goes hand in hand with behavior that is unpredictable and difficult to control. Rachel's
parents also told her that the main thing she did for her child was to understand how she felt,
not to force her to do something, and also not to force what she didn't like. 
Rachel's syntax tended to be in the form of a sentence. The following data are the
results obtained from Rahel's syntax. 

Orang tua : Raheeellll, belajar lagi, Nak!

Rahel : Rahel kan belajar adalah kemarin sudah, Bu.
Orang tua : Kemarin itu beda lagi, Nak. Hari ini mata pelajarannya beda.
Rahel : Iyaa, Ibu.

Based on the data above,sentence Rahel kan belajar adalah kemarin sudah, Bu. is not
true. The sentence that should have been uttered was Rahel sudah belajar kemarin, Bu. The
sentence that Rahel uttered did not match the SPOK that should have been in a sentence. The
sentences spoken were still messy. After Rachel's parents instructed Rachel to study, she
went straight to the room with her mother to study. However, a few minutes later he did not
focus on his studies. Rahel left the room and immediately ran around the house. From the
activities carried out by Rachel, we can conclude broadly that Rachel is a child suffering
from a language disorder characterized by ADHD. 

5. CONCLUSION 

Based on observations and interviews that have been conducted, it can be concluded
that the symptoms of ADHD children can be detected early. The most visible characteristics
of ADHD children are that they have difficulty focusing, they are difficult to communicate,
hyperactive, busy playing alone, and so on. The obstacle that the researchers saw was that
Rachel often daydreamed or played alone while studying. Rachel also shifted her focus
easily. 

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