Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder that is
often identified when a child first enters school. About 2% of boys and girls in our
population are diagnosed with the disorder (Kaufmann, 2000). Although ADHD is the
most frequent reason that children are referred to a mental health professional, the
diagnosis of ADHD becomes more difficult when other factors exist (Brown, 2000).
Despite these concerns, it has been supported that many of the characteristics of
ADHD such as lack of attention and impulsivity are also common among children who
are both gifted and talented. In some cases high intelligence, inappropriate curriculum,
and the common behavioral characteristics of gifted children can lead to misdiagnosis. In
other cases gifted and talented children with ADHD use their intelligence and strengths to
mask the characteristics of ADHD.
Among the teaching and medical community the relationship between ADHD and
giftedness is challenging. These groups dispute whether or not the coexistence of ADHD
and giftedness exist. Despite the lack of agreement among professionals “referrals for and
the incidence of attention disorders among gifted and talented children were found to be
growing at an unanticipated rate” (Webb & Latimer, 1993).
Teachers and other professionals need to understand the relationship between
ADHD and giftedness and to provide students with assessment tools and curriculum. This
paper reviews the current research on ADHD and giftedness and identifies techniques to
help teachers recognize and educate students who are classified as being both ADHD and
gifted in the classroom