Gifted and ADHD: What do they have in common?
Students with ADHD often have average or even high IQ. Yet they struggle with learning. I was quite puzzled by this for some time. Then I noticed a similar pattern of behavior problems, such as fidgeting, highly distractible, and lacking motivation, coupled with high IQ in an entirely different group—gifted students. Although their behavioral profile is similar between these two groups, they are driven by different reasons. The ADHD student has difficulty controlling their behavior and inhibiting inappropriate actions, while gifted students ‘act up’ out of boredom or being insufficiently challenged. )
Here is a case study of a boy from my research collaboration with the National Association of Gifted Children in the UK.
Joseph was very articulate and our assessment with him took longer than usual as he asked questions frequently. He loves English and History and tried to begin many debates and discussions with us during the assessment. His mother says that he spends hours and hours researching topics that he finds interesting – these might not be related to school. However, his pattern of behavior on the Conners Rating Scale indicated a very high ADHD. When asked about his motivation levels, he was very apathetic and negative about his school and learning in general.
These two groups of students—ADHD and gifted ones—had similar behavioral patterns and IQ scores. Yet they had very different learning outcomes. Why? When I looked more closely at their scores, I found their working memory profiles were very different. As you would expect, the gifted students had excellent working memory, which was linked to their above average academic outcomes. In contrast, the ADHD students’ poor working memory was linked to low achievement. Average IQ does not suggest average grades. If a student has a working memory problem, they will struggle academically even though they have average IQ ability.
EXCERPT FROM Improving Working Memory
