By Dronile Hiraldo
What do Simone Biles, Bill Gates, and Leonardo da Vinci have in common?
Beyond being famous (or having been famous), there’s something else that further connects them. All three are examples of people who have or had high-functioning ADHD — gifted individuals who display symptoms of either inattentiveness, hyperactivity-impulsivity or both.
It’s a myth that ADHD is only prevalent in young boys who misbehave or do badly in school. Girls who are gifted and receive good grades are equally likely to experience challenges and setbacks from ADHD.
Shauna Pollard, Ph.D., a practicing psychologist providing online therapy to clients in various parts of the United States, explains that for high achievers, ADHD can look like: losing things, having trouble socially or having a lack of focus. Because of this, recognizing ADHD in high-achieving and high-functioning individuals can actually prove harder than it seems.
What People Get Wrong About ADHD and the Gifted
Good grades, perfect attendance and stellar track records don’t sound like the key ingredients of ADHD. Still, it is a common misconception that smart and gifted individuals are incapable of having special needs or learning differences.
“My family at the time didn’t recognize it because I was doing well. I always had A’s,” says Maryann Sandy, a family medicine doctor in Texas, about her own experience with ADHD.
For Sandy, it wasn’t until medical school when the workload caused increased stress levels that her symptoms started to become noticeable. Others, like Sandy, might find that teachers, parents and physicians consider them to be “too smart” to have ADHD.
Yet, the important thing to note is that ADHD is a mental health condition that affects brain functioning and not one’s IQ or intelligence. The Chesapeake Center, a Bethesda-based center in Maryland offering clinical services for ADHD and learning differences, highlights behaviors such as late-night study sessions, procrastination and late assignments that can signal ADHD yet seem normal for high achievers who are used to overcompensating for symptoms. The increased stress levels for people with high-functioning ADHD, like Sandy, can result in sleep issues, relationship problems, low self-esteem and feelings of anxiety.
“ADHD also tends to be underdiagnosed in women,” Pollard adds. “The girls might be more likely to be inattentive or their hyperactivity might be talking. They talk a lot so they might get in trouble for that but no one will think about it as ADHD.”
While boys may display symptoms of hyperactivity — symptoms of one of the three types of ADHD — girls might display symptoms of inattentiveness, another type of ADHD. Inattentive ADHD can include daydreaming, spacing out, gazing out of windows and being scatterbrained.
Why ADHD in High Achievers Goes Unnoticed
Often for high achievers, symptoms of ADHD go unnoticed. Symptoms in gifted children, for example, can look different — and provoke very different responses — than symptoms in gifted adults. What can be disruptive in the classroom in a school environment can be what helps a young professional to thrive and excel in a fast-paced and creative environment.
For Sharon Alexander, the founder and CEO of Unicorn Children’s Foundation and mother of a highly gifted child, the symptoms her son with ADHD exhibited were often swept under the rug as behavioral issues. As early as when he was in kindergarten, Alexander noticed that her son wasn’t getting along with his peers and was acting out.
Yet she attributed it to his being gifted. A trip to a psychologist revealed that her son’s fidgeting, inability to maintain eye contact and tendency to quickly change topics were a result of ADHD.
The praise and admiration gifted children get for their academic performance, achievements and good grades can further lead to people not recognizing ADHD in high-functioning people.
“If people only see the high achievement, they may not pick up on the ADHD,” says Pollard. “Because people are high achievers, they’ve found ways to just thrive and so that can look like coming up with strategies or workarounds for the things that the ADHD causes.”
These strategies or workarounds can look like hiding or masking challenges. For example, Pollard highlights how high-achieving adults may stay late at night working or put in maximum effort to focus and stay on top of things.
How To Recognize and Assess High-Functioning ADHD
“Socially, we had challenges where his teachers had brought up to me he was having difficulty making friends,” says Alexander about early signs of her son’s ADHD.
It wasn’t until high school that academic challenges started to become noticeable for Alexander and her son — which is typical for high achievers. As early as middle school, executive functioning skills — organizing, managing time, goal setting and self-control— start to develop. This can be around the time when gifted individuals begin to see indications of their ADHD crop up.
Others may not recognize their ADHD until even later in life. Pollard gives the example of someone in the military who, after switching careers, finds it difficult to thrive outside of a structured environment. Without the support they’re used to, high-achieving individuals may find themselves working harder to succeed and accomplish their goals.
A professional assessment from a licensed psychologist or family doctor can help an individual with high-functioning ADHD begin to better manage and treat their symptoms. Understanding how a learning difference affects the brain and the treatment options available are two major areas where a specialist can help individuals unpack their challenges.
“I think a big part of (recognizing high-functioning ADHD) has been more information and more access to information,” says Sandy, who encourages seeking out resources such as therapy, Russell Barkley’s Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, and ADHD podcasts.
Alexander advises parents of gifted children, and high-achieving adults with ADHD, to find a specialist who can build trust. She also advises taking note of the positives that come with a diagnosis. Successful individuals like Virgin Airline’s Richard Branson and the founder of JetBlue, David Neeleman, have both attributed their success to their dyslexia and ADHD, respectively.
A high achiever’s ADHD can look like being plagued with feelings of boredom, requiring work that feels stimulating and starting projects with intense excitement to then lose focus or motivation soon after. The challenges high-functioning individuals face can cause their ADHD to go undetected or unnoticed.
Yet, understanding the misconceptions that come with high-functioning ADHD, how it manifests differently in those who are gifted, and getting a professional diagnosis can bring greater awareness to all of the complexities that come with having a learning difference.
Simone Biles, Bill Gates, na Leonardo da Vinci wana nini cha kawaida? Mbali na kuwa maarufu (au kuwa maarufu), kuna kitu kingine ambacho huwaunganisha zaidi. Watu wote watatu ni mifano ya watu ambao wana au walikuwa na ADHD ya hali ya juu - watu wenye vipaji ambao huonyesha dalili za kutojali, hyperactivity-impulsivity au zote mbili. Ni hadithi kwamba ADHD ni ya kawaida tu kwa wavulana wadogo ambao hujiendesha vibaya au hufanya vibaya shuleni. Wasichana wenye vipawa na waliopata alama nzuri wana uwezekano sawa wa kupata changamoto na kushindwa kutoka kwa ADHD. Shauna Pollard, Ph.D., mtaalamu wa saikolojia anayetoa matibabu ya mtandaoni kwa wateja katika sehemu mbalimbali za Marekani, anaelezea kwamba kwa watu wenye mafanikio makubwa, ADHD inaweza kuonekana kama kupoteza vitu, kuwa na matatizo ya kijamii au kukosa umakini. Kwa sababu hii, kutambua ADHD katika watu wenye mafanikio ya juu na wanaofanya kazi kwa bidii inaweza kuthibitika kuwa ngumu kuliko inavyoonekana. Nini Watu Kupata Mbaya Kuhusu ADHD na Gifted Grades Nzuri, kuhudhuria kamili na rekodi za kufuatilia nyota hazisikiki kama viungo muhimu vya ADHD. Hata hivyo, ni wazo lisilo la kweli kwamba watu wenye akili na vipawa hawawezi kuwa na mahitaji ya pekee au tofauti za kujifunza. <unk> Familia yangu wakati huo haikutambua kwa sababu nilikuwa nikifanya vizuri. "Mimi daima nilikuwa na A's", anasema Maryann Sandy, daktari wa dawa ya familia huko Texas, kuhusu uzoefu wake mwenyewe na ADHD. Kwa Sandy, haikuwa hadi shule ya matibabu wakati mzigo wa kazi ulisababisha viwango vya mkazo vilivyoongezeka kwamba dalili zake zilianza kuonekana. Wengine, kama Sandy, wanaweza kupata kwamba walimu, wazazi na madaktari wanawaona kuwa <unk> smart sana <unk> kuwa na ADHD. Hata hivyo, jambo muhimu la kuzingatia ni kwamba ADHD ni hali ya afya ya akili ambayo huathiri utendaji wa ubongo na sio IQ au akili ya mtu. Kituo cha Chesapeake, kitovu cha Bethesda huko Maryland, kinachotoa huduma za kliniki kwa ADHD na tofauti za kujifunza, inasisitiza tabia kama vile vikao vya masomo vya usiku wa manane, ucheleweshaji na kazi za jioni ambazo zinaweza kuonyesha ADHD lakini zinaonekana kuwa za kawaida kwa watu wenye mafanikio ya juu ambao wamezoea kusawazisha dalili. Kiwango cha juu cha mkazo kwa watu wenye ADHD ya hali ya juu, kama Sandy, inaweza kusababisha shida za usingizi, matatizo ya uhusiano, kujidharau chini na hisia za wasiwasi. <unk>ADHD pia huwa haijagunduliwa vizuri kwa wanawake,<unk> Pollard anaongeza. <unk> Huenda wasichana hao wakawa wasio makini au huenda wakawa na mwelekeo wa kuongea. "Wanaweza kuwa na wasiwasi juu ya jinsi ya kufanya hivyo, lakini hakuna mtu anayeweza kufikiria kuwa ADHD ni ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi"" au ""mtu mwenye akili nyingi.""" ADHD ya kutojali inaweza kujumuisha ndoto za mchana, kutembea nje, kutazama nje ya madirisha na kuwa na akili zilizotawanyika. Kwa nini ADHD katika watu wenye mafanikio ya juu haijulikani Mara nyingi kwa watu wenye mafanikio ya juu, dalili za ADHD hazijulikani. Kwa mfano, dalili za watoto wenye vipawa vya kipekee zaweza kuonekana tofauti <unk> na kusababisha majibu tofauti sana <unk> kuliko dalili za watu wazima wenye vipawa vya kipekee. Kile kinachoweza kuwa na usumbufu katika darasa katika mazingira ya shule inaweza kuwa kile kinachomsaidia mtaalamu mchanga kustawi na kustawi katika mazingira ya haraka na ya ubunifu. Sharon Alexander, mwanzilishi na mkurugenzi mtendaji wa Unicorn Children Foundation, anaamini kuwa mtoto wake mwenye ADHD ana matatizo ya tabia. Mapema alipokuwa katika shule ya chekechea, Alexander aliona kwamba mwanawe hakuwa akishirikiana na wenzao na alikuwa akifanya mambo mabaya. Hata hivyo, alidai kwamba alikuwa na kipawa. Alipoenda kwa mwanasaikolojia, aligundua kwamba mwanawe alikuwa na tatizo la kutoweza kusikiliza kwa makini, hakuweza kumtazama macho, na alikuwa na mwelekeo wa kubadilisha habari haraka. Kusifiwa na kupendwa kwa watoto wenye vipawa kwa utendaji wao wa kitaaluma, mafanikio na alama nzuri inaweza kusababisha watu kutotambua ADHD kwa watu wenye utendaji wa juu. "Ikiwa watu huona tu mafanikio ya juu, wanaweza kutogundua ADHD", anasema Pollard. "Watu wana mafanikio ya juu, wamepata njia za kustawi na hivyo inaweza kuonekana kama kuja na mikakati au njia za kazi kwa mambo ambayo ADHD husababisha. ""Mkakati huu au njia za kazi zinaweza kuonekana kama kuficha au kuficha changamoto." Kwa mfano, Pollard alionyesha jinsi watu wazima wenye mafanikio ya juu wanaweza kukaa usiku wa manane kufanya kazi au kufanya juhudi kubwa ili kuzingatia na kukaa juu ya mambo. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Tulikuwa na changamoto ambazo walimu wake waliniletea kwamba alikuwa na ugumu wa kupata marafiki,"" anasema Alexander kuhusu dalili za mapema za ADHD ya mwanawe." Ilikuwa si hadi shule ya sekondari kwamba changamoto za kitaaluma zilianza kuwa dhahiri kwa Alexander na mwanawe - ambayo ni ya kawaida kwa wenye mafanikio ya juu. Mapema katika shule ya sekondari, ujuzi wa utendaji wa mtendaji - kupanga, kusimamia wakati, kuweka malengo na kujidhibiti - huanza kuendeleza. Hii inaweza kuwa karibu wakati ambapo watu wenye vipaji huanza kuona dalili za ADHD yao. Wengine huenda wasiwatambua watu hao kuwa na ADHD hadi wakati wa uzee. Pollard anatoa mfano wa mtu katika jeshi ambaye, baada ya kubadilisha kazi, hupata ugumu wa kustawi nje ya mazingira ya muundo. Bila msaada ambao wamezoea, watu wenye mafanikio makubwa wanaweza kujikuta wakifanya kazi kwa bidii zaidi ili kufanikiwa na kutimiza malengo yao. Uchunguzi wa kitaaluma kutoka kwa mtaalamu wa saikolojia au daktari wa familia unaweza kusaidia mtu mwenye ADHD ya hali ya juu kuanza kusimamia na kutibu dalili zao. Kuelewa jinsi tofauti za kujifunza zinavyoathiri ubongo na chaguzi za matibabu zinazopatikana ni maeneo mawili makuu ambapo mtaalamu anaweza kusaidia watu binafsi kuondoa changamoto zao. "Kama sehemu ya ""kugundua ADHD ya utendaji wa juu"" imekuwa habari zaidi na upatikanaji zaidi wa habari, ""Sandy anasema, ambaye anahimiza kutafuta rasilimali kama vile matibabu, Russell Barkley's Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, na podcasts za ADHD." Alexander anapendekeza wazazi wa watoto wenye vipawa, na watu wazima wenye mafanikio ya juu na ADHD, kupata mtaalamu anayeweza kujenga uaminifu. Yeye pia anapendekeza kuchunguza mambo mazuri yanayohusiana na utambuzi. "Watu mashuhuri kama Richard Branson wa Virgin Airline na mwanzilishi wa JetBlue, David Neeleman, wote wawili wametoa mafanikio yao kwa dyslexia yao na ADHD, kwa mtiririko huo. """ ADHD ya mtu mwenye mafanikio ya juu inaweza kuonekana kama kuwa na hisia za kuchosha, inahitaji kazi ambayo inahisi kuchochea na kuanza miradi na msisimko mkubwa kisha kupoteza umakini au motisha muda mfupi baadaye. Matatizo ambayo watu wenye uwezo wa kufanya kazi kwa bidii wanakabili yanaweza kusababisha ADHD yao isigunduliwe au isigunduliwe. Hata hivyo, kuelewa dhana zisizo za kweli zinazokuja na ADHD ya hali ya juu, jinsi inavyoonekana tofauti kwa wale walio na vipawa, na kupata utambuzi wa kitaaluma inaweza kuleta ufahamu mkubwa kwa utata wote unaokuja na kuwa na tofauti ya kujifunza.