ADHD and high abilities, double exceptionality: what does it consist of?

ADHD and high abilities can go perfectly hand in hand, escaping school identification. So much so that it is very common to reach adulthood without having identified this fact and, what is worse, without having been able to develop and take advantage of this potential. This is a reality that is repeated day after day and that invites reflection.

Why happens? Why aren’t there earlier diagnoses of intellectual giftedness or high abilities? Firstly, because we continue to harbor false myths. Not every brilliant student is behind exceptional grades or good behavior in class.. The brightest children are sometimes more restless than normal and have a history of constant school failure.

Dr. Thomas E. Brown, a clinical psychologist at Yale University and one of the leading experts on attention disorder with or without hyperactivity, makes an interesting point. There are many people with this condition who have a high IQ, but They show notable problems in displaying their intelligence effectively due to ADHD.

Likewise, there is another fact and that is that, usually, we tend to focus only on the behavior of these children without addressing their real needs. Let’s delve a little deeper into this topic.

ADHD and high abilities, how are they related?

Generally, and for some years now, We usually talk about double exceptionality when a child with high abilities shows attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).. The combination of these two conditions is problematic because hyperactivity or attention problems determine whether they can optimally develop their potential.

As we well know, ADHD appears with a large constellation of symptoms, among which is impulsivity, the inability to regulate behavior or control emotions. Now, Dr. Thomas E. Brown also talks about other facts. We can have bright children with a delay in the development of executive functions.

That is, we can identify in them an immaturity in that group of cognitive skills that regulate various functions of the mind such as attention, reflection, analysis, etc. Thus, The biggest challenge for children or adolescents with ADHD and high abilities is not to understand what they are being taught, it is to demonstrate that they understand it.. Let’s get more information.

What are children with high abilities and ADHD like?

Studies, such as those carried out in the Department of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, provide conclusive evidence. It is not easy to identify the child with ADHD and high abilities, in fact, In general, these students are usually associated with school failure and delay.. Therefore, we are facing a reality to which we must be more sensitive.

Let’s understand how this feature manifests itself.

These children They present a large gap between their potential and their executive abilities. Some may be very skilled at verbal comprehension, others at visual-spatial reasoning; However, they may find it difficult to maintain attention or be able to express their knowledge in an ordinary exam. They have great competence in abstract reasoning (a process that allows us to solve logical problems). They are children who demonstrate multiple and varied interests.They have good verbal fluency, very advanced for their age. High creativity. They tend to abandon many of the things they start. They are not constant. They do not work well in the classroom, they get bored, they do not pay attention, they do not respond to structured tasks…They act before thinking, They are impulsive. They do not work well in team tasks. Great emotionality: they experience all emotions intensely and even in an exaggerated way. They are very empathetic children. They reject authority figures. They usually have problems with other classmatesshow problems integrating.

How to address the needs of children with double exceptionality?

Giftedness or high abilities that coexist with ADHD is a challenge, both in children and adults. This double exceptionality means, among other things, that they experience learning and life themselves in a different way. For example, the child or adolescent who does not adjust to ordinary learning and fails feels increasingly unmotivated and the relationship with his or her environment becomes difficult.

On the other hand, The characteristic that most defines the adult with ADHD and high abilities is poor emotional managementfeeling overcome by their feelings, perceiving themselves out of place and frustrated in various areas of their life, both social and work, affects them greatly.

What should be done in all these cases? The most important thing is to act early. We analyze it.

Strategies in the school environment

Early detection strategies in children with special educational needs. Stimulating and personalized school environment for students with ADHD and high abilities. Smaller ratios in classrooms.Curricular adjustments that adapt to their high abilities. Teachers trained in serving students with these characteristics, so that the child also perceives that they trust their abilities. Do use of various educational toolssuch as new technologies.Instruction in study skills, time management, problem solving, resistance to frustration.Emotional management techniques.Psychological assistance so that the student understands their personal reality.

Family strategies

Having the support, sensitivity and understanding of the family is essential for the good development of the child with ADHD and high abilities. In these cases, it is crucial that you understand the following:

Have high expectations for the child and that he or she perceives this. Promote well-structured lifestyle habits that help the child integrate routines and habits.Validate the child’s interestsstimulate your motivation, help you manage your emotions. Constant communication with the school.

To conclude, people with this psychological reality can achieve great potential as long as we understand their needs. Let us be able to go beyond appearance, beyond that nervous and inattentive behavior.. Behind that image there are minds and hearts with great needs and high capacities.

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