ADHD, IQ, and Giftedness

In this commentary I address several widely stated claims in the trade media that people with ADHD are of higher intelligence, that they are more likely to be gifted in IQ, as well as the statement that gifted individuals are more likely to have ADHD because they are bored or unchallenged in school (or work). This commentary debunks these misconceptions based on hundreds of studies of IQ in ADHD as well as studies of gifted individuals who do and do not have ADHD, among other research. People with ADHD span the entire range of IQ as manifeste in the general population. But, on average, there is a small but significant negative correlation between severity of ADHD and IQ, being about -.30 or so. In other words, on average, large groups of people with ADHD tend to be about 7-10 points lower in their range of intelligence than do typical control groups. Some of that difference seems to be due to poor test taking behavior. Some to the adverse effect of ADHD on executive functioning that is involved as well in IQ testing, and some may be due to a greater likelihood of brain injury among some people with ADHD. I also discuss the reverse notion, that those who are gifted are more likely to have ADHD. I find no evidence for this claim and indeed evidence against it. Gifted individuals may be somewhat less likely to have ADHD and when they have it the symptoms may be somewhat less severe. So I find no support for these various claims about ADHD, IQ, and giftedness.

Links to references in the video are here:
https://link.springer.com/article/10....

https://gifted.tki.org.nz/assets/Uplo...