A recent study has found that children with higher IQ scores tend to be diagnosed with ADHD at a later stage in life.
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a neurodevelopmental condition that can influence behavior. Individuals with ADHD often appear restless, have difficulty concentrating, and may find it challenging to focus.
ADHD symptoms are usually identified during early childhood, leading to many diagnoses before the age of 12. However, there are instances where symptoms are missed, resulting in a diagnosis during adulthood.
Key symptoms of ADHD include a short attention span, trouble following instructions, an inability to remain still, impatience, and excessive movement and talking.
In the past 20 years, there has been an increase in ADHD diagnoses, prompting further research into the condition and its diagnostic criteria across various demographics.
This new research, published in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology, utilized data from 1,380 children in Ontario, Canada. The study aimed to explore whether factors like cognitive ability and symptom types could influence the timing of an ADHD diagnosis.
Research indicates that the presentation of ADHD symptoms can vary between genders, with girls often exhibiting different symptoms than boys, potentially leading to underdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.
The study concluded that children with higher IQs are more prone to being diagnosed later in life with ADHD.
Conversely, children displaying hyperactive and impulsive behaviors often receive an early diagnosis, likely due to these behaviors being more noticeable to parents and educators.
On Reddit, numerous individuals with ADHD expressed resonance with the study’s findings.
One user remarked: “That hits deep. I’ve only been diagnosed in my mid 30s because until then I could mask my deficiencies with just being smarter and more efficient than others. So I had to do less work to achieve the same. School work came easy to me because it played perfectly towards my unquenchable thirst for knowledge, which kept me engaged.”
Another user shared: “Absolute same. I crushed school because I loved learning and expectations and tasks were clear and I liked doing well on tests. College and grad school were progressively more difficult, and just working sucked. And then in my 30s I was like, why is it so hard to DO anything. My therapist suggested ADD and I started taking meds and if was like… oh.”
A third commenter added: “You just summarised my life. My mom got me do an IQ-test when I was a kid and I scored above average, so my parents assumed nothing was wrong with me. I was a dreamer. I also enjoyed learning (still do) so my grades were good (for the subjects I liked).
“Now I’m in my 30s and got diagnosed with ADHD, mostly inattentive.”