ADHD Blog

During discussions about ADHD and IQ, two common myths often enter the conversation: (1) Kids with ADHD are smarter or more creative than kids without ADHD, but they simply don’t apply themselves, or (2) the opposite view, that kids with ADHD aren’t as smart as kids without ADHD. In reality, there is no direct connection between ADHD and intelligence. Just as there is a full range of intelligence among kids without ADHD, there is a full range of intelligence among kids with ADHD – some are highly intelligent, most are of “average” intelligence, and some fall into the below-average range of intelligence. While ADHD does not have a significant impact on intelligence, it does make it harder for a child to learn in a traditional classroom environment, and it interferes with his or her ability to effectively demonstrate his or her knowledge on assignments and tests. Since kids are often described as being smart or not smart based on the grades that they receive, having ADHD-related academic challenges can lead to the perception a child is less intelligent or less motivated than his or her classmates.

Teens with ADHD are just as different from one another as teens without ADHD. Some are outgoing and some are more shy and introverted, some are perfectionistic while others are happy to rush through their work to get it done, some are creative and some are athletic, some are leaders and some are followers. However, there is one thing that all teens with ADHD have in common – they all struggle more than their classmates at school and in their social life. Some teens with ADHD may hide the struggle well, and compensate for their difficulties by working twice as hard as their friends or by being the funniest, most entertaining student in the room. But even those who succeed at covering-up their challenges on the surface continue to struggle behind the scenes.

For many kids and teens with ADHD, getting a good night’s sleep is a struggle. In fact, up to 70% of kids and teens with ADHD have ongoing sleep problems. These sleep challenges range from having a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, to having extreme difficulty getting out of bed in the morning and feeling very sleepy throughout the day. It can seem like sleep problems stem from the fact that having ADHD seems to give kids so much energy at night, but the relationship between ADHD and sleep is actually quite complex and influenced by many factors.

More than any other disorder, the legitimacy of ADHD as a mental health diagnosis is questioned by armchair experts everywhere. Anyone who has ADHD themselves or has a child with ADHD has encountered family members and friends who are more than happy to share their belief that ADHD doesn’t actually exist - “I was hyper when I was a kid too, but I didn’t have ADHD. It’s just kids being kids.” “Kids are too coddled these days, so they don’t respect their teachers.” “If parents would just discipline their kids, then they wouldn’t behave this way.” “If kids didn’t spend so much time watching TV and playing videogames, then they wouldn’t have ADHD.”

When parents seek out the help of a psychologist or meet with their child’s teacher, discussions typically focus on finding solutions for ADHD-related challenges. While these problem-focused conversations are necessary - and are often very helpful - they run the risk of being so ADHD-centric that a child’s strengths and positive qualities are overlooked. As a result, a child isn’t really discussed as a whole person, but is instead talked about only within the context of his or her ADHD. Ultimately, this focus does the child a disservice, because opportunities that capitalize on the child’s strengths are overlooked. 

If you’re the parent of a child who spends hours each day playing video games, watching YouTube videos, or checking out friends’ social media posts, you’ve probably wondered at times whether all of this screen time is problematic or if it’s just part of growing up in the 21^st century. While all kids benefit from reasonable limits around screen time, kids with ADHD may need stricter limits than most to prevent them from becoming addicted to their screens.