ADHD and High IQ

A child with ADHD can have a high or low IQ. Many children are taken in for a neuropsychological evaluation. This test measures the psychological function and how it may be linked to brain structure or pathway. This test will be administered to a child in a quiet office, free from distractions, and one on one with the examiner. Once the test is complete, your child's scores will be compared to a control group of similar age, education, and even ethnicity. These tests have undergone scrutiny recently for children who have ADHD and are told they have low IQs. After placing the child on medication, some children can repeat the test and obtain a better score; however this is not always the case.

If your child has ADHD and has a high IQ score, they may be told it is impossible for them to have ADHD since they are so smart. Many people tend to think that because they have a larger IQ, they wouldn't be distracted by other things that most people with ADHD do. Harvard and Yale have both done research studies to prove that individuals with high IQ can and do suffer from ADHD. The majority of research now shows that a large portion of children with ADHD have high IQ's.

When the hyperactive-impulsive behavior of ADHD is controlled, the IQ testing results will increase. The verbal IQ test will dramatically increase since the child is able to focus on the person speaking to them and the content they are addressing. Recent tests have also proven that when the hyperactive-impulsive behavior is not controlled, the child demonstrates lower verbal IQ test scores.

Researchers are still debating IQ scores and how they relate to parental social status, inheritability and other factors. Most parents do not want to hear anything bad about their child. Parents want the best for their children and will overcompensate for a weakness their child has before facing the facts that their child may have a problem. If a parent was affected by ADHD or Bipolar, they can have a difficult time admitting their child may have the same problem they did. So if you start to notice ADHD symptoms in your child, you need to ask yourself a few questions before you take your child in for testing:

• Were you diagnosed with ADHD as a child?
  
• Did you have poor grades in school, or did you have to repeat a grade?
  
• Did you feel insecure or have low self-esteem?
  
• Did you have a problem staying focused or sitting still in school?
  

Even if you didn't suffer from ADHD, your parents may have. Check your family history; certain genetic disorders tend to skip generations. If you are still unsure if you or your child has ADHD, contact your doctor and take an ADHD test. A primary care physician can diagnose ADHD with a complete evaluation. They will look at a few of the following factors:

• Inability to pay attention
  
• Organizational problems
  
• Homework problems
  
• Forgetfulness
  
• Excessive talking, fidgeting or squirming
  
• Difficulty remaining seated

Typically, the parent, school, or day-care provider notices these behaviors and they are reported to the doctor, they will then make an evaluation from there and begin treatment. Some children are misdiagnosed due to stress at home such as a divorce, a move, an illness, change in school, or other events that lead to a child acting out or becoming forgetful. Be sure to include any life-changing information in your questionnaire.

To diagnose ADHD your doctor will perform a physical examination and discuss any concerns and symptoms you may have about your child. You need to know your family's health history, your child's health information such as allergies or medications they are currently taking. You will be required to fill out a questionnaire about your child mostly behavior information such as how they act at school, at home, and among friends. Your doctor may require the phone numbers of those individuals who see your child on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, there is no single test for ADHD. There is only a question and answer diagnosis. For some children, their doctor may refer them to a psychologist for further evaluation. The psychologist may require a psychological or neuropsychological testing to determine factors that may be causing behavior issues with your child. These tests can take several hours as they include written and spoken questions to help pinpoint your child's problem more specifically.

Now that you have discussed ADHD with your doctor, you can have your child take an intelligence test. There are several IQ tests to choose from and we will focus on a few of the most popular.

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
This test is the most common intelligence test in use. It was developed in 1949 and has had some revisions since that time and now includes a Preschool version of the test. The WISC test evaluates the subject on two areas: the verbal and performance skills. These scores are combined and compared to other scores to evaluate the subject's IQ score. This test assesses factual knowledge, spatial skills, logical thinking, and mathematical abilities. This test is designed for children aged 6-16, unless you are using the Preschool version.

The Stanford-Binet test
The Stanford-Binet test evaluates a subject's knowledge of vocabulary, comprehension skills, and visual pattern recognition. This test allows the tester to determine at what age a typical student could answer a specific question.

Achievement Tests
Intelligence plays a role in completing this test; however it is not directly measured in this test. An achievement test measures a child's current level of functioning to school subjects (reading, math, oral language, and written language).An achievement test can be helpful in diagnosing ADHD. There is a typical pattern of performance on these tests that most children with ADHD follow. Most children with ADHD who score poorly on this test are actually smart; they just suffer from adherence to standardized rules. This test will score children on some tasks that do not require sustained effort to learn, and the results from a child with ADHD are usually high. Achievement tests are also beneficial for helping to differentiate between concentration problems and lacking in learning ability.

The Woodcock-Johnson III Test
This test measures intellectual ability, cognitive abilities, scholastic aptitude, oral language, and academic achievement. This test is designed for practically anyone ages 2-90. The great benefit to this test is that it is not timed. This will eliminate pressure from students who are slower readers or who have trouble concentrating for long periods of time. This test will evaluate a person's area of strength and concern, learning style, and aptitude in academic areas.

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
This test compares the results of the Wechsler IQ test and allows for determinations to be made about the presence of learning disabilities. This test does not have a time limit and allows the child to move from one tool to the other. This test allows for the child to demonstrate knowledge and skill rather than speed.

Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)
This test measures reading recognition, spelling, and math computation. Most children who take this test must be age 5 or older. This test is used to compare your child's results to others their age to determine abilities and disabilities. It also helps determine errors patterns that can be altered when teaching your child.

Once your child has taken the test and the results have come back, you can make a decision of how to best help your child. If their IQ score is high, but they are getting lower grades in school, discuss with their teacher how you can devise a program to keep them focused.

Try writing down all the tasks that your child needs to accomplish for that day on an index card and place it in their pocket. Then, they will remember to look at it and check off everything they have finished for that day. Many kids with ADHD do better with an organizer in their pocket or even in their backpack.

Teach your child how to write down notes in school, or take a tape recorder to class so they don't miss important information given by the teacher. Some children with ADHD begin to have their minds wander and loose track of important information they need for their homework. This can also help you as a parent when homework time comes and your child needs help.

A child with ADHD and a high IQ will become bored quickly. For many, the testing at school is easy, but the homework is boring and they loose focus quickly. Try putting them in a room free from distractions and putting on some quiet music in the background. Many children with ADHD respond better to their homework if they aren't forced to sit in silence. ADHD is not a disease, it is not a curse, and in fact you and your child should look at it as a gift. They learn on a different level from all other children their age and may just require a little more help to keep them on the same playing field.