Adult ADHD
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ADHD affects people at all levels of intelligence. Many people have a high IQ and ADHD.
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Intelligence can compensate for some ADHD symptoms to an extent.
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However, even brilliant people with ADHD still struggle sometimes and likely are not reaching their full potential if untreated.
Individuals at all levels of intelligence can struggle with ADHD.
A study that examined the IQs of children with ADHD found that the pattern and distribution of IQ scores were similar to that of the general population.
A study of 69 children with ADHD found that IQs in ADHD follow a normal distribution
The average IQ score for children with ADHD was around the average for human beings.
High IQ and ADHD symptoms
Intelligence can affect the symptoms we experience with ADHD. ADHD affects executive function, the part of our brain responsible for higher-level thinking, including reasoning and attention.
A study on highly intelligent individuals with ADHD found that they did not appear to have many of the executive function deficits of others with ADHD when they were given cognitive tests. They were able to compensate for difficulties with executive function.
High IQ May "Mask" the Diagnosis of ADHD by Compensating for Deficits in Executive Functions in Treatment-Naïve Adults With ADHD
However, this doesn’t mean that intelligent people with ADHD don’t still struggle with the effects of ADHD.
As the authors point out below, highly intelligent individuals with ADHD have the same struggles as everyone else, but they’re harder to detect on tests because of their ability to find ways to compensate.
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Our data show that, although ADHD adults with more elevated IQ may have EF impairments, these deficits arise more discreetly in EF tasks data than the ones presented by individuals with the disorder and standard IQ. It means that the impairment is present, but the ADHD individuals with more elevated IQ may have a wider range of intellectual strategies to compensate the deficits.
Studies have confirmed that high-IQ adults with ADHD have many of the same struggles as other adults with ADHD, even if it’s harder to detect:
High IQ, ADHD, and Academics
There is some evidence that a high IQ may be able to compensate for ADHD symptoms at school.
ADHD often makes its first appearance when kids are at school. Hyperactivity and lack of focus often first become problematic in the classroom.
One study found that teachers were far less likely to notice behavioral or attention problems in highly intelligent children.
High intelligence and the risk of ADHD and other psychopathology
This is consistent with the previous studies on executive function, demonstrating that IQ can compensate for some of the deficits in ADHD.
Do highly intelligent children still struggle with ADHD?
Highly intelligent children with ADHD still suffer from cognitive deficits related to ADHD, despite their ability to compensate.
One study found that children with high IQ and ADHD still had high rates of severe deficits in working memory, processing speed, and verbal comprehension.
Executive function impairments in high IQ children and adolescents with ADHD
Because of these deficits, studies have shown that children with ADHD also face struggles in everyday life.
They were more likely to struggle from depression and anxiety.
They also had difficulty at work, on speeding tickets, and in their personal lives.
Is adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a valid diagnosis in the presence of high IQ?
Key Takeaways
As shown by the genetic study below, IQ and ADHD are mostly separate when it comes to genetics:
Many highly intelligent individuals have ADHD, and they face many of the same struggles as everyone else.
Intelligence, however, can potentially help compensate for some of the effects of ADHD.
One downside is that it can make it harder to detect ADHD in some highly intelligent people. They often score at or above average in school and on cognitive tests because of their intelligence but are still well below their full potential.