Are people with ADHD smarter?

Intelligence is not directly related to ADHD, so although some people with ADHD may have specific skills that allow them to excel in certain areas, there is no evidence that people with ADHD are more smart. Many children present complications when it comes to remaining seated during school hours and show behaviors that could be considered detrimental to the development of content curricular How many times has a child been penalized for interrupting a teacher while he was speaking? How do bodily impulses appear in the one who is paying attention? How is the IQ of these people? There are very diffuse opinions about it.

In this Psychology-Online article we explain whether people with ADHD are smarter.

Index

1. Why people with ADHD are said to be smarter
2. How smart are people with ADHD?
3. How the brain of a person with ADHD works

The acronym ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which implies a mental health pathology that is characterized by the presence of impulsiveness, lack of impulse control along with difficulty sustaining attention for periods of time prolonged. Although the diagnosis is more frequent in children, it can also extend into adulthood.

Beyond these considerations, there is sometimes the idea that people with ADHD are more intelligent than the average population. This is true if one takes into account that your IQ may be higher than other people. However, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention may be factors that interfere with the development of intelligence.

Over the years, a belief has been installed that indicates a lack of intelligence in people with ADHD. Hyperactivity and inattention were often thought to be linked to a lack of interest in the perceived stimulus. However, this is not correct since the problems that arise within the clinical picture have a neurological origin.

Likewise, people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do not usually have drawbacks when solving cognitive activities given that they have a level of intelligence considerable. If a comparison were made between people with this diagnosis and those without it, it could be concluded that there are no major differences between them.

Likewise, there is evidence that refers to a higher than average intelligence in some people with this pathology. In this way, it is possible to demolish the postulate that indicates a cognitive deficit in those who are diagnosed with ADHD since hyperactivity and inattention can be understood from another point of view.

According to various investigations carried out, it has been verified that the brain of people with ADHD develops in a longer period of time than usual due to the maturation of each structure. Both the corpus callosum and the cerebral cortex, putamen, hippocampus and the cerebral amygdala grow gradually.

For this reason, the brain often has neurotransmitters that have trouble communicating with each other. This explanation would account for some behaviors manifested by people with ADHD. To address this issue in greater depth, we will point out how the brain of a person with ADHD works:

• delayed focus of attention: when there are various stimuli that cause a change in attentional focus, the times to process the information are usually longer than usual. This produces a difficulty in attention and concentration that can vary depending on the severity of the condition studied.
• slowed neural transmission: As we have explained previously, the release of neurotransmitters gives rise to communication problems between them. This is due to a complexity in the synaptic connections that develop.
• Growing brain structures: the brain of a person with ADHD may not have developed in the expected times and ways due to complications during lactation, pregnancy and/or childhood. These kinds of problems play a fundamental role when it comes to understanding impulse control, short and long-term memory, emotional development, among others.

This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Are people with ADHD smarter?, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

• Aguilar Rebolledo, F., Jiménez Ortiz, M.A. (2021). Attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity. Updated review. Medigraphic Magazine, 8 (1), 39-49.
• Rusca-Jordán, F., Cortez-Vergara, C. (2020). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. A clinical review. Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 83 (3), 148-156.
• American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition). Arlington: Panamerican Medical Editorial.