ADHD & Students Who are Gifted
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioral disorder of childhood, and is marked by a constellation of symptoms including immature levels of impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. The National Institutes of Health declared ADHD a "severe public health problem" in its consensus conference on ADHD in 1998. In the ongoing dialogue about ADHD in gifted children, three questions often arise. Are gifted children over-diagnosed with the disorder? In what ways are gifted ADHD children different from gifted children without the disorder and from other ADHD children? Does the emerging research suggest any differences in intervention or support?
Initial findings suggest two points for consideration. First, identified gifted ADHD children are more impaired than other ADHD children, suggesting the possibility that we are missing gifted children with milder forms of 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. Also, teachers may tend to focus on the disruptive behaviors of gifted ADHD students and fail to see indicators of high ability.
These delays are of concern because early provision of appropriate services is important for academic and social success. Gifted children whose attention deficits are identified later may be at risk for developing learned helplessness and chronic underachievement). ADHD children whose giftedness goes unrecognized do not receive appropriate educational services. It is recommended that children who fail to meet test score criteria for giftedness and are later diagnosed with ADHD be retested for the gifted program.
As a group, ADHD children tend to lag two to three years behind their age peers in social and emotional maturity. Gifted ADHD children are no exception. This finding has important implications for educational placement. As a group, gifted children without ADHD tend to be more similar in their cognitive, social, and emotional development to children two to four years older than children their own age. When placed with other high ability children without the disorder, ADHD children may find the advanced maturity of their classmates a challenge they are ill prepared for. Also, gifted children without the disorder may have little patience for the social and emotional immaturity of the gifted ADHD student in their midst. This is not to say that gifted ADHD students should not be placed with other gifted students. The research is clear that lack of intellectual challenge and little access to others with similar interests, ability, and drive are often risk factors for gifted children, contributing to social or emotional problems.
From Giftedness in Children with ADHD by Maureen Neihart, Psy.D.
ADHD & Students Who are Gifted Resources
ADHD and Children Who are Gifted HTML
Dual Exceptionalities HTML
Giftedness in Children with ADHD HTML
Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder represent 3-5% of America's school-age population. They frequently display disability-related behaviors that arise from impulsivity, hyperactivity or inattention. It is critically important that adults recognize that positive interventions can help them change these behaviors. The following curriculum was developed to help educate parents, teachers and others about ADHD.
What is ADHD? - This section explains how the diagnosis of ADHD is made - who can make the diagnosis, who can prescribe medicine and who can counsel or provide therapy.
ADHD & Education - This section explains several of the various disability categories under which a child with ADHD may receive services in public schools.
ADHD - What Parents Can Do - This section provides suggestions for parents to help their children learn to manage their own behaviors.
Tips for Teachers - This section provides specific instructional strategies for teachers, although many parents will find them useful in understanding how to advocate for appropriate interventions for their child.
