ADHD and Interrupting in Children and Teens: Why They Blurt Out or Talk Over Others
You've told your child "don't interrupt" many times, and nothing has changed. With ADHD, your child may know they're supposed to wait and still have trouble stopping themselves before the words come out.
Interrupting is one of the ways ADHD can show up in children and teens. A child may call out in class, talk over family members, jump into conversations with friends, or repeatedly interrupt a parent's phone call. Other people may see the behavior as rude, even when your child isn't trying to be.
In this article, you'll learn why children with ADHD interrupt, how it can affect them at home, at school, and with friends, and what you can do to help them learn to wait for their turn.
Key Takeaways
Interrupting is associated with ADHD: ADHD diagnostic criteria include blurting out answers, difficulty waiting for a turn, and interrupting or intruding on others.
There can be several reasons: Impulsivity can make it hard to hold back the urge to speak. Some kids also worry they'll forget what they wanted to say, miss conversational cues, or have more trouble waiting when they're excited.
It can affect relationships: Frequent interrupting can frustrate other people and create problems with friends, teachers, and family.
Waiting can be taught: A waiting signal, a place to write down a thought, short practice activities, and direct teaching of conversational turn-taking can help.
What Is Interrupting in Children With ADHD?
Where Interrupting Shows Up, and What It Costs
Why Do Children With ADHD Interrupt?
How to Help a Child With ADHD Stop Interrupting
What We See Working with Clients
What Is Interrupting in Children With ADHD?
Interrupting in children with ADHD can mean speaking before someone else has finished, blurting out an answer before a question is complete, or jumping into a conversation or activity without waiting.
The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic criteria for ADHD include blurting out answers, difficulty waiting for a turn, and interrupting or intruding on others among the symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity.
On its own, interrupting does not mean a child has ADHD. The behavior is considered along with other symptoms, how often they occur, how long they have been present, and how much they affect the child's daily life.
As children get older, interrupting may become less obvious. A teen might finish a friend's sentence, talk over someone during a group discussion, or jump into a conversation before there is an opening.
Where Interrupting Shows Up, and What It Costs
Interrupting can cause different problems depending on where it happens.
| Setting | What you see | How other people tend to read it | What it can cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| In class | Calls out the answer before the teacher finishes the question, or comments while classmates are speaking | As disruption, or as rudeness toward the teacher | Notes home, lost participation points, and being seen as disruptive |
| Adult conversations and phone calls | Asks a question, makes a request, or tells you something the moment you start talking to someone else | As disrespect, or as not caring that you are busy | Constant correction at home, and a parent who dreads the phone ringing |
| With friends | Finishes their sentences, changes the subject, or talks over them | As not listening, or as wanting to be the center of attention | Friends can stop inviting them, and the child does not always know what went wrong |
| Games and group activities | Jumps in before the rules are explained, or takes over a game already under way | As bossy | Being left out of the next game |
| Connected Speech Pathology | connectedspeechpathology.com | |||
At home, a child may repeatedly talk over siblings, interrupt conversations between adults, or have trouble waiting while a parent is on the phone. At school, they may call out answers, speak while the teacher is giving instructions, or interrupt classmates during group work. With friends, they may jump into conversations, change the subject, talk before someone else has finished, or misread cues that signal how the conversation is going.
When this happens often, others may feel they aren't being listened to or given a chance to speak. Kids may see an interrupting classmate as rude or bossy, even when that isn't the child's intention.
Peer relationships can be especially difficult for some girls with ADHD. Research has found that girls with ADHD can experience significant peer rejection and friendship difficulties, more so than boys. Because girls' friendships often rely heavily on conversation, cooperation, and sensitivity to subtle social cues, behaviors such as interrupting, talking over others, or missing signs that a friend wants a turn may create additional social challenges.
Over time, repeated problems with conversational turn-taking can make interactions with friends, teachers, and family more difficult.
Why Do Children With ADHD Interrupt?
For many children with ADHD, interrupting is not a deliberate choice. Rapid thoughts and high energy can make it harder to wait for a turn in conversation. Impulse control, working memory, difficulty reading conversational cues, and excitement can also play a role.
Impulse control: the answer is out before the question ends
Impulse control is the ability to notice an urge and resist it. Children who lack impulse control in the moment may speak before they have time to stop themselves.
Impulse control is one of the executive functioning skills involved in self-regulation, and it can be harder for children with ADHD.
A child may know the classroom rule about raising their hand and still blurt out an answer before the teacher has finished asking the question.
Working memory: the fear that the thought will vanish
Working memory allows a child to hold information in mind while doing something else. For some kids with ADHD, holding onto what they want to say while continuing to listen can be difficult.
A child may interrupt because they're afraid that if they wait until the other person finishes, they'll forget what they wanted to say.
Missed cues: they do not see where a turn ends
Conversation depends on small signals that tell us when another person is finished speaking. A pause, change in eye contact, or shift in tone can signal that it is someone else's turn.
Some children with ADHD have difficulty with these social pragmatic communication skills. A systematic review of 34 studies found that children with ADHD had more pragmatic language difficulties than typically developing children, including difficulties with inappropriate initiation and social discourse.
These communication difficulties are important because children with ADHD can also experience problems with their peers. In a study of 49 previously unfamiliar boys ages 6 to 12, the boys with ADHD experienced substantially more peer rejection early in their interactions than the comparison group. The study examined ADHD-related social behavior broadly, not interrupting specifically, and aggression and not following directions were the strongest predictors of negative peer ratings.
The study does not show that interrupting causes peer rejection. Instead, it illustrates the broader importance of helping children with ADHD develop the skills they need to navigate social interactions successfully.
Excitement: the topic matters too much to wait
Waiting can become even harder when a child is excited. They may interrupt to tell you something that just happened, jump in repeatedly when talking about a favorite subject, or call out during an activity because they are caught up in the moment.
The goal isn't to discourage that enthusiasm. Instead, you can acknowledge the excitement while helping your child practice what to do with the urge to speak until it's their turn.
How to Help a Child With ADHD Stop Interrupting
Improving impulsive behaviors in children with ADHD can involve teaching patience and self-regulation skills. Reminders after the fact may not be enough to reduce interrupting in a child with ADHD. Some kids do not notice their own interruptions until a parent or teacher points them out. Teaching your child what to do while they wait gives them something specific to do instead of interrupting.
These are strategies parents can try at home. When interrupting is part of a communication difficulty, a speech-language pathologist can help your child practice turn-taking and other conversation skills.
Agree on a signal that means "I am waiting"
Agree on a silent hand signal your child can give instead of speaking. One example is your child's hand on your arm, which you cover with your own to show the wait was noticed.
Give the thought somewhere to go
A sticky note or notepad gives the thought a place to go. Your child writes or draws the idea instead of saying it, and you talk about it later. At school, a sticky note on the desk can give your child a place to write down a thought instead of calling it out.
Practice self-control in short, planned waits
Practice waiting in a calm moment. Nationwide Children's Hospital describes a routine where you tell your child you will be busy with a task for a few minutes, set a timer, ignore interruptions unless someone is in danger, and reward the wait.
Start with a short wait and make it longer over time. Praise each success right away.
Teach the turn-taking skill
Turn-taking is a skill kids can learn. At home, encourage it by role-playing a conversation where your child waits for the pause and tries "sorry, go ahead" when an interruption slips out. You can also use the role-play to practice listening skills, such as having your child respond to what the other person said before adding their own thought.
When to get help, and who to ask
If interrupting is affecting friendships or school, start with the teacher and pediatrician. Tell the teacher what signal you use at home so your child gets the same support in class, and ask the pediatrician whether a referral makes sense.
If your child also has trouble with conversation, social cues, or other communication skills, a speech-language pathologist can check those areas during a speech and language evaluation. Language difficulties can also occur in children with ADHD. A 2017 review by Korrel and colleagues found differences in language performance between children with and without ADHD, supporting the importance of assessing language when concerns are present.
ADHD and Communication Difficulties in Children and Teens
The wider guide to how ADHD affects communication, and what helps.
What We See Working with Clients
We help children and teens with ADHD build the self-regulation and social skills that conversation depends on. The examples below are based on real clients, with identifying details changed to protect privacy.
One mother reached out after her 8-year-old's teacher started tracking how often he called out in class. The same thing was happening at home. His mother could barely get through a phone call without him interrupting to tell her something.
We taught him a simple hand-on-the-arm signal he could use when he had something to say and practiced waiting until his mother was ready to listen. He also kept a notepad nearby so he could write down thoughts he was afraid he would forget. His parents say he still interrupts, but it happens less often, and they're starting to see him catch himself and stop before finishing the interruption.
For a 14-year-old girl we worked with, the problem looked different. She had been left out of a group chat and didn't realize that she often finished her friends' sentences or took over when the group was making plans.
We used recorded practice conversations to help her notice when someone else was still speaking and recognize the cues that signaled it was her turn. She also came up with a subtle reminder for herself, pressing her thumb to a finger when she felt the urge to jump in. Over time, she became better at giving her friends space to talk and told us that a friendship that had been slipping away felt more secure.
Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD and Interrupting
1. Can a child interrupt a lot without having ADHD?
Yes. Interrupting is common in children, especially when they are young. It may be more concerning when it is part of a broader pattern of ADHD symptoms that occurs in more than one setting and interferes with daily life.
2. Should I punish my child for interrupting?
Punishment on its own often does not reduce interrupting in a child with ADHD. Your child may already know they're supposed to wait but have trouble stopping themselves in the moment. Instead, teach them what to do when they have something to say, practice waiting during calm moments, and praise them when they remember to wait their turn.
3. Will my child grow out of interrupting?
Interrupting can ease as self-control develops, but not for every child. It can affect friendships and family relationships when other people feel talked over, so learning to pause and take turns helps now.
4. Can ADHD medication stop the interrupting?
ADHD medication can reduce the impulsivity behind interrupting for some children. It does not teach turn-taking. Whether medication belongs in the plan is a matter for the prescribing doctor.
How Connected Speech Pathology Can Help
At Connected Speech Pathology, we help children and teens with ADHD develop the communication skills that can make conversations easier, including listening, waiting for a turn, noticing social cues, and managing the urge to interrupt.
We focus on the situations that are actually difficult for your child, whether that's calling out in class, talking over friends, or interrupting you while you're on the phone. Sessions include practical strategies and practice that children can carry over into everyday conversations.
Our services include social communication therapy for children and executive function coaching for kids, both delivered online.[BUTTON: Get Started -> /get-started]
Summary
ADHD and interrupting in children can be connected for several reasons. Impulsivity can make it hard to hold back the urge to speak, and some kids may interrupt because they fear losing their train of thought, missing cues that signal it's their turn, or getting so excited that waiting becomes harder.
A waiting signal, a place to park the thought, and short, planned practice can help. When interrupting is part of a wider communication difficulty, a speech-language pathologist can teach turn-taking.
About the Author
Allison Geller, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a communication coach, speech-language pathologist, and founder of Connected Speech Pathology, an international online practice providing professional communication coaching and speech therapy for children, teens, and adults. With more than two decades of experience, she has worked in medical and educational settings and published research on aphasia. Today, she leads a team of specialists who help clients improve their skills in public speaking, vocal presence, accent clarity, articulation, language, fluency, and interpersonal communication.
