What does ADHD look like in gifted students?

Gifted children often are asked “If you're so good at doing that, why can't you do this?” Gifted children with ADHD often show heightened intensity and sensitivity, but they are set up to fail in a system that only recognizes and expects intellectual proclivity without consideration of their emotional needs.


Is it common for gifted students to have ADHD?

Because of the similarities outlined above, 2e children who are both gifted and have ADHD can be especially difficult to detect. While many experts agree that these children do exist, there is currently no formal criteria to identify giftedness in children who are ADHD or to identify ADHD in children who are gifted.

Can giftedness look like ADHD?

Although gifted children generally do well, they may show behaviors that mimic ADHD. For example, they may appear hyperactive because they ask many questions and are so excited about learning. Or, they may fail to participate in age-expected activities because of their over-focus on an area of interest.


Can ADHD mask giftedness?

Second, high ability can mask ADHD, and attention deficits and impulsivity tend to depress the test scores as well as the high academic performance that many schools rely on to identify giftedness.

What percent of gifted students have ADHD?

Studies have shown that 50% of kids who are gifted have ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.


Dabrowski Explains why Gifted kids are Misdiagnosed as ADHD (and how adults can help)



Which parent passes on ADHD?

Thayer's study shows that the ADHD group of children had larger and more frequent variations. Fathers with ADHD will pass this code discrepancy to offspring. Barkley explains that the heritability of ADHD runs around 80 percent. Genetics account for 80 percent of the components that define ADHD.

Can ADHD kids be high achievers?

High-functioning ADHD doesn't just mean you can manage to live an average life. Some people with high-functioning ADHD do that and more — they go on to be highly successful.

What kind of trauma causes ADHD?

Traumatic stress, apart from other factors like premature birth, environmental toxins, and genetics, is associated with risk for ADHD. The connection is likely rooted in toxic stress – the result of prolonged activation of the body's stress management system.


Can you be a genius with ADHD?

The lesson from this literature is clear. Smart people can have ADHD. Their high IQs will help them do better than the average person with ADHD, but they may not achieve their potential without appropriate diagnosis and treatment. For more evidence based info about adult ADHD go to: www.adhdinadults.com.

Can you have ADHD if you do well in school?

ADHD should not be rejected as a possibility because your child is currently doing well academically. Even when academic performance is high, the hidden cost of ADD (ADHD) is often taking a toll. Gifted students with ADD (ADHD) often struggle with anxiety, even when grades are high.

Which behaviors are associated with both ADHD and giftedness?

The behaviors that are associated with giftedness (i.e. restlessness, inattention, impulsivity, activity and day-dreaming) could also be characteristics of ADHD (Webb, 1993).


Is ADHD and gifted twice exceptional?

Gifted learners with a learning difference like ADHD are also referred to as twice exceptional or 2e. They have brains that are wired to notice all sorts of things going on around them simultaneously. Oftentimes they are affected by stimuli in a more profound way than their neurotypical peers.

Can a child with ADHD be intelligent?

However, there is no clear link between ADHD and IQ. A person may have a high, average, or low IQ score and also have ADHD. ADHD may cause a person to interrupt in class or perform poorly on tests. This can cause other people to believe that they may have a lower IQ.

What is the mental age of gifted children?

IQ and other tests for giftedness are optimal around age 5.


Do gifted kids have behavioral issues?

Gifted children may be under-stimulated or bored in typical social or education settings, [which] may result in behavior challenges like school refusal, tantrums, distractibility, or general acting out.

Are gifted kids Neurodivergent?

Giftedness is a form of neurodiversity; the pathways leading to it are enormously variable, and so are children's resulting learning needs.

What smart people have ADHD?

Bill Gates. Bill Gates, born in 1955 is the founder of Microsoft, and has a net worth of $103.2 billion. He also chairs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable foundation which has so far donated $35.8 billion to charity. Bill Gates, is known to have ADHD.


Are people with ADHD smarter on average?

The myth persists that people with ADHD are smarter than average. Some parents may take comfort in this idea when their children are diagnosed with ADHD. However, it's important to remember that ADHD and IQ exist independently from one another and are not connected.

Can ADHD affect an IQ test?

ADHD is often also associated with lower intelligence quotient (IQ; e.g., Crosbie and Schachar, 2001). For instance, Frazier et al. (2004) reported in their meta-analysis that in comparison to individuals without ADHD, individuals with ADHD score an average of 9 points lower on most commercial IQ tests.

Can emotional neglect cause ADHD?

Conclusions: Results suggested that ADHD cases were more commonly exposed to emotional abuse and neglect. They had significantly more dissociative experiences and reported Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms more frequently.


What jobs are suitable for ADHD?

Fast-paced job environments are a great fit for those living with ADHD because there is often a focus on being flexible and engaged in many different tasks.
...
Fast-paced jobs that may be a good fit if you have ADHD:
  • emergency responder (firefighter, EMT)
  • retail worker.
  • service employee.
  • journalist.
  • teacher.
  • athlete.


Are you born with ADHD or does it develop?

ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.

What strengths do children with ADHD have?

The Good News
  • Imagination and Creativity. Many individuals with ADHD are really creative, inventive and imaginative. ...
  • Impulsivity and Spontaneity. People with ADHD tend to be: ...
  • Energy and Enthusiasm. Some children with ADHD have endless amounts of energy! ...
  • Resilience and Perseverance. ...
  • Hyperfocus.


Do kids with ADHD get good grades?

But ADHDers can achieve good grades or be considered “highly gifted”, which is often referred to as being 'twice-exceptional' or '2E'. But it's important to note that a high IQ score doesn't lessen the impact that ADHD can have on your life.

What is masking ADHD?

1. ADHD masking may also be called "camouflaging." This is when someone with ADHD tries to cover up their symptoms by copying the behaviors of people who don't have it. ADHD masking may be a way for some people with ADHD to fit in socially, avoid being stigmatized, or feel more accepted.