Please help .. click on the pig
HOW SMART ?
Adapted from an article by Sam Goldstein, Ph.D.
An online professionals on ADHD group I belong to recently posed this question.
Are there characteristics unique to children with ADHD demonstrating superior or better intellectual abilities? Dr. Sam Goldstein addresses this question. I have quoted some of his information here and added my own comments.
"START
OF DIRECT QUOTE ===== > ADHD is likely
to interfere with the application of skills and the efficient test taking
strategies necessary to perform well on intelligence tests. Researchers have
found a link between IQ and ADHD as well as a link between IQ and other types of
behavioral problems. Rates of hyperactive-impulsive behavior and measures of
intelligence appear to have a negative association. In contrast, associations
between ratings of conduct problems and intelligence are often much smaller, in
some cases, non-significant. When hyperactive-impulsive behavior is controlled,
the relationship among verbal I.Q., achievement and disruptive behavior appears to be relatively specific to the
hyperactive-impulsive element observed in disruptive behavior disorders. When
efforts are not made to control for I.Q., samples of children with ADHD do
differ significantly from controls, particularly demonstrating lower verbal
intelligence. It has been suggested that this difference is consistent with a
theoretical model of ADHD as noted by Dr. Russell Barkley, reflecting a disorder
of poor impulse control
Measures of sustained attention and
inhibition are associated to a small but significant degree with measures of
intelligence. Matching subjects with ADHD with controls and statistically
controlling for I.Q. differences appears to reduce or eliminate the effects of
ADHD upon intelligence. Group differences in Verbal I.Q. should not be viewed as
an artifact of group selection nor as a source of error to be removed. These
differences may in fact reflect real differences in the two populations. The
preponderance of the data suggests, however, that less than 10% of the variance
in Verbal I.Q. is accounted for by ADHD. Thus, the population of individuals
with ADHD generally falls along a normal distribution in terms of intellectual
skills. One might expect that 3% to 5% of those with gifted intellect will meet
the symptom criteria for ADHD. <=== END
OF DIRECT QUOTE."
MY OPINION BASED ON MY EXPERIENCES AND THE INFORMATION FROM DR. GOLDSTEIN'S WRITINGS. BJ Madewell ====>
It seems to me that the IQ tests given to children do not have accommodations for those w/ ADHD. Many ADDers are impulsive and distractible. In my opinion, the timed portions tests work against the ADDer. I have numerous students who are unable to pass a timed written math test on basic facts. However, when I test them orally with flash cards on the same skills, they typically double their written test scores. That indicates to me that timed written activities do not actually measure the ADD/ADHD child's abilities. Additionally, when under time pressures, it is my opinion, that the ADDer tends to become more anxious than those w/out ADD/ADHD. Knowing there is a timer going is, in and of itself distracting.
Also, impulsivity is detrimental to the ADDer in a testing situation, in my opinion, due to the fact that the ADDer is susceptible to responding to stimulus (test items) with numerous, non standard responses. Thus the student must filter out his "off the wall" responses and try to come up w/ the answer that is correct.
As an example .... A student of mine was required to edit a paragraph for spelling, punctuation and capitalization errors. He was told there were 5 spelling errors in the selection. His corrections were very interesting. Instead of finding the spelling errors, he changed some of the words to reflect his interpretation of the selection. He inserted "zoo" before animals in one sentence which really did help to clarify the sentence. Also, he crossed out the word "clean" as in clean the cages and changed it to "shoveled out". This is interesting to me as since he didn't find all the spelling errors, his score was in the substandard range. However, the corrections he did make were appropriate, in my opinion. Did he not understand the directions? Did he interpret the directions differently? Is his score on this section really a representation of his ability to edit a paragraph? Something to think about.
"ANOTHER
DIRECT QUOTE ===> A number of writers have argued that the overlap between creativity and ADHD
results from the fact that creative individuals may be sensation seeking. Some
have suggested that a significant proportion of children diagnosed with ADHD is
in fact simply intelligent, creative and
bored! Yet, no data has been provided to support this hypothesis.
The preponderance of the data argues that intellectual processes are generally independent from ADHD. Although children with ADHD may perform inconsistently or deficiently on measures of intellectual skill, this should not lead one to assume that deficiencies in intellect, or for that matter, inconsistencies in intellectual performance are diagnostic of ADHD. Though it may be the case that intelligence is a protective factor and for some individuals with ADHD may serve to insulate them from the adversity of the condition, intelligence clearly falls far short of protecting someone with ADHD from the adverse experiences observed and reported at home, school and on the playground. It is time we put aside the notion that individuals with ADHD are smarter than the rest of us or for that matter, simply misdiagnosed geniuses bored with the repetitive, "bland educational environment we have created."<====END OF DIRECT QUOTE"
ADDers are probably not
smarter than the rest of us, not misdiagnosed geniuses bored with school. In my
opinion, the ADDer is "wired differently" and our educational system
does not take that into account for instructional or for testing purposes. BJ
Madewell
IT'S YOUR CHOICE
Realize the ADDer is probably a divergent thinker, along with being hyperactive, impulsive and distractible.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
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DISCLAIMER
This information is for educational purposes only. Much of the information is from classes and workshops I've taken during my 26+ years of working with ADD & ADHD students – sprinkled with my own comments, thoughts and insights.
Some information has been acquired from the INTERNET. Be aware that not all information on the WWW is accurate. Use your own judgment.
This information is not intended to replace information from your doctor, therapist, lawyer, psychologist, nutritionist or psychiatrist. Consult your child's (or your own) doctor for additional input.
Editor: BJ Madewell
Wichita, KS area
316-733-9532
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BJ Madewell