ADHD combined with giftedness is the new superpower!
What if we thought of this as Attention Divergent Hyperactive Giftedness (ADHG)???
What if we shifted our way of thinking to ADHD as a superpower?
Even if they know they are gifted, students with ADHD may feel isolated and alone.
Common characteristics affecting academic performance:
- lack of organizational skills (Nielsen, 2012)
- poor working memory (Fugate, Zentall, & Gentry, 2013)
- the inability to maintain attention (Zentall, Moon, Hall, & Grskovic, 2001)
- poor metacognitive skills (Davis, Rimm, & Siegle, 2010)
Social-Emotional challenges:
- disruptive behaviors in class may be an outward sign of feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem related to school achievement compared to peers (Baum & Owen, 1988)
- display emotional intensity (Olenchak & Reis, 2002)
- suffer from low self-concept and low self-esteem (Foley-Nicpon et al., 2012)
- declining motivation due to frustration (Baum & Owen, 1988)
These characteristics combined with an inability to control verbal and/or physical impulsivity, often cause difficulties for these students when relating to their same-age peers, leading to:
- feelings of alienation (Johnson & Kendrick, 2005; Moon et al., 2001)
- difficulties making and maintaining friendships (Grskovic & Zentall, 2010)
The GOOD news (aka your SUPERPOWER)!
Evidence dating back almost 40 yours shows that gifted students with ADHD have greater potential for creativity and creative achievement! Researchers found students:
- scored higher on tests of creative thinking
- told more creative stories with novel themes
- used more visual imagery & strategies during problem-solving when watching and playing videos/games
- contributed to higher percentages of problem solutions in cooperative groups when compared to same-age
peers!
More Resources:
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
Simone Biles