Gifted or ADHD? The Possibilities of Misdiagnosis

Gifted or ADHD? the Possibilities of Misdiagnosis
Journal article by D. Niall Hartnett, Jason M. Nelson, Anne N. Rinn; Roeper Review, Vol. 26, 2004

Journal Article Excerpt
Gifted or ADHD? the Possibilities of Misdiagnosis.
by D. Niall Hartnett , Jason M. Nelson , Anne N. Rinn
Although the prevalence rate for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is estimated at 3 to 5% in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000), indirect evidence often suggests that it is currently diagnosed at a higher rate. For example, ADHD is one of the most common reasons children are referred to mental health professionals (Brown, 2000). The prescription of stimulant medication, which is frequently used to treat ADHD, has significantly increased over the past decade (Ghodse, 1999; Olfson, Marcus, Weissman, & Jensen, 2002). Further, it is not uncommon to hear of the misdiagnosis of ADHD, wherein a child's behaviors are attributed to ADHD when in actuality they are caused by or related to some other condition or trait (e.g., Perry, 1998). One such trait is superior intellectual functioning, or giftedness (Lawler, 2000).
Children with ADHD and children who are gifted often engage in similar behaviors. According to Webb and Latimer (1993), both groups often possess high activity levels, have difficulty paying attention, act without much forethought, experience problems persisting on certain tasks, and have difficulty following rules. Both groups also often experience significant social difficulties and academic underachievement (Guenther, 1995; Leroux & Levitt-Perlman, 2000).
It is common for diagnosticians to use behavior checklists when investigating the possibility of ADHD. When these checklists are relied upon, rather than used as one piece of evidence among other sources, the possibility of confusing...

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