Can ADHD be masked by intelligence?

High IQ may “mask” the diagnosis of ADHD by compensating for deficits in executive functions in treatment-naïve adults with ADHD.

Can high IQ hide ADHD?

Misdiagnosis is not uncommon when high IQ and ADHD collide. Very bright children who are also highly active are sometimes misdiagnosed with ADHD. On the other hand, some highly intelligent children with ADHD can focus on things that interest them for an extended period of time, which can lead to misdiagnosis as well.

Can giftedness mask ADHD?

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 does high IQ and ADHD look like?

There is significant overlap of characteristics among people with ADHD, high IQ, and creativity — like curiosity, impatience, high energy, low tolerance for boredom, charisma, nonconformity, risk-taking, and resistance to authority.

Can ADHD symptoms be masked?

Masking is when a person with ADHD acts in a “socially acceptable” way to fit in and form better connections with those around them. This usually involves camouflaging their symptoms by controlling their impulses, rehearsing responses, and copying the behaviors of those who don't have ADHD.

ADHD, IQ, and Giftedness

What is ADHD stimming?

ADHD stimming (self-stimulatory behavior) is when a person with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder unconsciously repeats certain movements or sounds. Some ADHD stimming examples include humming, pacing, teeth grinding, and rocking, though there are many others.

What is high functioning ADHD?

Summary. While not an official diagnosis, high functioning ADHD may describe individuals with ADHD symptoms that do not affect their daily activities. Symptoms may include difficulties with focus, time management, impulsivity, and more. These individuals may develop strategies to manage their symptoms.

Do I have ADHD or am I highly 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.

Do people with ADHD think faster?

In people with ADHD, these executive dysfunctions impact thinking in numerous ways. People with ADHD don't really think faster than people without it, but it can sometimes seem like they do. People with ADHD do think differently though, in a sense.

What are childlike behaviors of ADHD?

They squirm in their chairs; they run when you tell them to walk; they stop in the middle of cleaning their room to play with their toys. These are all normal parts of being a kid. But some of these behaviors can also be signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Why are people with ADHD high achievers?

ADHD can also prompt some people to read widely, deeply and hungrily which means that they gain enormous amounts of knowledge, extensive vocabularies and literacy skills beyond their years. This translates, in school and at work, into high achievement.

Can you have high functioning ADHD?

ADHD in kids gets talked about a lot. But adults can have it, too. When you have only mild symptoms, or you have more severe symptoms that you manage well, you have what's called “high-functioning” ADHD.

What IQ is considered gifted?

Although IQ represents only a partial expression of giftedness, according to a purely psychometric view, giftedness is defined by an IQ of 130 or higher, placing gifted individuals at least two standard deviations above the population mean.

Did any geniuses have ADHD?

They can be considered to be creative geniuses. Scientist and Nobel prize winner Albert Einstein is considered to have had ADHD because he “was as disorganised and forgetful as he was insightful and intelligent.” There is other evidence to suggest that he may have had dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism combined with ADHD.

Do people with ADHD have a sixth sense?

The Gift of ADHD: They say that adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have almost a sixth sense about people. My sharp sense of intuition is the one personal attribute that I've always been proud of. Since I was little I've been able to smell a two-faced person from a mile away.

Do ADHD brains age slower?

Research has shown that in children with ADHD, the prefrontal cortex matures more slowly than typically developing kids. It is also slightly smaller in size. Similarly, the cerebellum, hippocampus, and amygdala are also thought to be smaller in volume in kids with ADHD.

How do people with ADHD sleep?

Other sleep problems reportedly associated with ADHD in children and/or adults include early and middle insomnia, nocturnal awakening, nocturnal activity, snoring, breathing difficulties, restless sleep, parasomnias, nightmares, daytime sleepiness, delayed sleep phase, short sleep time and anxiety around bedtime ( ...

What is the average IQ of someone with ADHD?

For instance, among the 18 studies under scrutiny that did not explicitly state an IQ cut-off point the mean range of IQ among individuals with ADHD reported in the studies is from 102 to 110. Given that lower IQ is associated with ADHD this suggests that individuals with ADHD may be inaccurately represented.

Are people with ADHD on the spectrum?

Experts now consider ADHD to be on a spectrum, as each person can experience varying levels of symptom severity. There are also different types of ADHD, which cause different types of symptoms. When diagnosing ADHD, a doctor will use set criteria to determine the type and severity of ADHD.

Do people with ADHD talk to themselves?

I've had the opportunity to interview literally tens of thousands of individuals ADHD, anxiety problems, depression, and autism. The bulk have described active self-talk that seems to interfere with daily functioning. I don't know anyone with no internal dialogue.

What age is ADHD peak?

The symptoms may peak in severity when the child is seven to eight years of age, after which they often begin to decline.

What is Type 7 ADHD?

Type 7: Anxious ADD

With Anxious ADD, there is low activity in the prefrontal cortex while there is overactivity in the basal ganglia, which sets the body's “idle speed” and is related to anxiety. The ADD symptoms in people suffering with this type tend to be magnified by their anxiety.

What is Type 6 ADHD?

Ring of Fire ADHD is one of the seven types of ADHD identified by Dr. Daniel Amen. This type of ADHD is characterized by a pattern of overall heightened brain activity, which has been identified on brain SPECT imaging.