ADHD in Children
Visual Abstract
Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a valid diagnosis in the presence of high IQ? Results from the MGH Longitudinal Family Studies of ADHD
ADHD in children with high IQ
Kevin M. Antshel, Stephen V. Faraone, Kimberly Stallone, Andrea Nave, Felice A. Kaufmann, Alysa Doyle, Ronna Fried, Larry Seidman, Joseph Biederman
Summarized by:
April 23, 2023
study source
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
March 2007
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What they studied
This study examined whether children with high IQ could still experience significant impacts from ADHD.
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What they found
High-IQ children with ADHD suffer from impacts on their personal and academic lives from ADHD symptoms. They also had higher rates of psychiatric conditions.
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What this means
These results suggest ADHD is a valid diagnosis in children with high IQ. When compared to similarly intelligent children without ADHD, it becomes clear that ADHD has relatively consistent effects regardless of intelligence.
Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a valid diagnosis in the presence of high IQ? Results from the MGH Longitudinal Family Studies of ADHD
Objectives
ADHD has typically been associated with difficulties in school. There has been controversy over whether kids with high IQs can have ADHD. On the one hand, kids with high IQs often perform just fine in school. On the other hand, they may not be reaching their full potential.
By examining the impact of ADHD on the lives of highly intelligent children, researchers hoped to see whether ADHD is a valid diagnosis in children with high IQ and to learn more about the relationship between IQ and ADHD.
Study Quote
The aim of this study was to assess the validity of diagnosing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in high IQ children and to further characterize the clinical features associated with their ADHD.
Methods
Researchers studied a group of 49 children with high IQ and ADHD. They compare them to a group of 92 high-IQ children without ADHD.
All the children in the study had an IQ of or above 120.
Study Quote
We operationalized giftedness/high IQ as having a full scale IQ ā„120. We identified 92 children with a high IQ who did not have ADHD and 49 children with a high IQ that met diagnostic criteria for ADHD who had participated in the Massachusetts General Hospital Longitudinal Family Studie...
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Results
Children with high IQ and ADHD were far more likely to have behavioral issues at home and school. Beyond just attention problems, they also had aggression, anxiety, and social problems.
Children with high IQ and ADHD were more likely than their peers to experience behavioral issues
These impacts suggest that even if a student with ADHD is performing well academically, they are still suffering from personal impacts from ADHD.
Having other psychiatric conditions is also a known consequence of ADHD.
High-IQ children with ADHD were no exception. They had higher rates of psychiatric disorders compared to high-IQ children without ADHD. These included oppositional defiant disorder, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, among others.
Those with high IQ and ADHD were likely to suffer from other psychiatric conditions
Like other children with ADHD, high-IQ children also struggled more socially. They had more challenges in their relationships with their family and friends. They also had difficulties managing their free time.
Children with high IQ and ADHD often experience social adjustment problems
Study Quote
Of our participants with ADHD and a high IQ, the majority (nā=ā35) met criteria for the Combined subtype. Relative to control participants, children with ADHD and high IQ had a higher prevalence rate of familial ADHD in first-degree relatives, repeated grades more often, had a poorer per...
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Conclusions
Based on the study's results, the authors concluded that children can have high IQ and ADHD. Highly intelligent children with ADHD symptoms have many of the same challenges as other children with ADHD compared to children with similarly high IQs.
Part of the difficulty in diagnosing ADHD in high-IQ children is that they can often adapt and cope with their symptoms creatively. Many cope so well that they can potentially perform at a level equivalent to their non-ADHD peers.
But, as this study shows, even high IQ children with ADHD are likely not living up to their full potential.
As such, the results suggest they should be screened and treated like every other child with ADHD.
Study Quote
Children with a high IQ and ADHD showed a pattern of familiality as well as cognitive, psychiatric and behavioral features consistent with the diagnosis of ADHD in children with average IQ. These data suggest that the diagnosis of ADHD is valid among high IQ children.