r/NoShitSherlock • u/fret-less • Nov 05 '24

Children with higher IQ scores were diagnosed later with ADHD than those with lower scores. Children with higher cognitive abilities might be able to mask ADHD symptoms better, especially inattentive symptoms, which are less disruptive.

https://www.psypost.org/intelligence-socioeconomic-status-and-gender-impact-adhd-diagnosis-timing/
170 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

1

u/AFairwelltoArms11 Nov 07 '24

My son fell asleep from boredom during an IQ test that would put him him in the upper-track classes. He got in anyway.

1

u/merlinstears Nov 08 '24

Or maybe, and stay with me here, ADHD is not an actual condition and is simply a description of traits and behaviors that happen to be more common in more intelligent people…

1

u/DistillarySwank Nov 19 '24

Those smart kids are sneaky

0

u/SomeSamples Nov 05 '24

Maybe, just maybe mind you, smart people diagnosed with ADHD don't really have ADHD but are bored with most things as they understand them quickly and want to move on to something else.

5

u/loolooloodoodoodoo Nov 06 '24

No competent diagnostician is gonna diagnose ADHD just because someone strongly prefers focusing on immediate interests more than prioritizing though. Someone with high IQ without executive function issues will prefer to focus on interests, but they'll still be capable of priority-based focus if they really want to.

3

u/ImNotYourOpportunity Nov 06 '24 edited Nov 07 '24

I was diagnosed at 24 while in a doctoral program. How’s that for masking.

0

u/SomeSamples Nov 06 '24

Being diagnosed doesn't mean you actually have it.

1

u/DowntownRow3 Nov 24 '24

??? girl what?

1

u/SomeSamples Nov 24 '24

You heard me.

1

u/DowntownRow3 Nov 24 '24

this is such a weird conception to have. Sure people can be misdiagnosed but it doesn’t happen enough to where diagnosis is completely null. They do t just give it out on a whim

1

u/SomeSamples Nov 24 '24

I think in the case of smart people and with ADHD doctors are too quick to diagnose that ADHD is the issue. I think smart people have a bit more going on than can be described with a blanket diagnosis. In general ADHD is over diagnosed across much of the population.

2

u/Substantial-Wear8107 Nov 06 '24

I wish the rest of the kids in class would have just paid attention and stopped screwing around so we could actually get through the content and have fun. But no. They gotta act up.