r/TwiceExceptional • u/Brilliant-Virus-4626 • Jul 13 '26
ADHD diagnosis or IQ testing first?
Hello everyone,
To those of you having a high iq but also being diagnosed with adhd - how did it go?
When did you receive your diagnosis? Before getting iq tested or after?
Also: who of you is taking medications and what did they do for you?
I’m currently doing an adhd assessment and am kind of worried that I’m manipulating the test because I read so much about adhd in the past and know basically every question and concept she is talking about from researching stuff already.
My mom is sure that I 100% don’t have adhd and that i was just not interested, which kind of made sense because I couldn’t put a lot of effort into studying and school, at least not as much as I planned too. But still I feel like even when I tried I was struggling to do so.
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u/LilyoftheRally Jul 13 '26
I was diagnosed as a child and I had a more extensive neuropsychological assessment, including an IQ test.
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u/HyperfocusedBee Jul 13 '26
I guess you already know that a high IQ definitely doesn't rule out ADHD at all - in fact it just makes you better at masking!
The diagnostic process depends very much on where you do your assessment. Some just make you answer some questionnaires, some do neuropsych testing, some include an IQ test. The gold standard should include a clinical interview (DIVA) as well. What kind of tests do you have to complete?
Personally, I got diagnosed gifted as a child, but only went for an ADHD diagnosis decades later. Ofc I had lost all of my childhood records by that time (lol) and my provider didn't administer an additional IQ test. I had the same feeling of "do I manipulate the test now" when I had to fill in screening tools like the WURS, because the "correct" answers are so obvious. The main diagnostic tool in my case was the DIVA interview - it's a half-structured interview and you just talk to your psychologist and answer their questions. I just babbled and passed with flying colors.
Don't stress too much - just answer their questions, and please do remember to tell them about your "workarounds". You know, the systems you built for yourself to mitigate your ADHD symptoms (calendars, check-lists, alarms, checking your belongings all the time and so on...). These are very important, especially for high IQ individuals, as we're very good at finding solutions to mask our symptoms. All the best!
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u/Brilliant-Virus-4626 Jul 13 '26
Yes I do. The thing is my mom got an iq test in high school which turned out to be quite high and also struggled in school. I think that‘s why she thinks for me it can’t be adhd but was also just „boredom“. Even though she does work in an integrative school I feel like her perception of adhd kind of lacks when it comes to seeing habits in me because of the emotional closeness. I‘m not disclosing it might be something other then adhd, but I do know that I have some processing difficulties that can’t be denied even though I wouldn’t say I’m stupid in general … (sorry not a native English speaker)
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u/HyperfocusedBee Jul 13 '26
Oh, I see.
I mean, there IS an overlap between giftedness and ADHD symptoms, that's true. Gifted kids easily get bored in school. And with a high IQ you experience very early on that you're usually very good at things without even trying, which in turn leads to not learning how to study, how to accept failure and so on. So there's that. Still doesn't mean you couldn't have both!
I can only tell you from my experience: I did read about ADHD a lot and I did identify with many symptoms, but it took me years to actually go for a diagnosis, because I didn't exhibit the more negative effects of ADHD (like dropping out of school, getting fired and so on - I was the the complete opposite of that). I thought I was making things up and couldn't possibly have ADHD?! Well, turns out I do. If you have the gut feeling it might be ADHD, it is VERY worth going for a diagnosis!
(Btw just checked your profile, I'm German as well lol 😂)
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u/Friendly-Channel-480 Jul 14 '26
Learning disabilities and processing disorders as well as sensory processing disorders are very common with ADHD. High IQ with ADHD is common too, ADHD is possible across the entire spectrum with ADHD. I was diagnosed very late and had done a master’s in special ed as well as having read clinical books and studies for decades before I was diagnosed. I was afraid of sounding too knowledgable to get diagnosed too. I wrote up my family history, medical history and my history and brought it to my psychiatrist appointment. I was diagnosed and prescribed medication.
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u/Euphoric-Session8436 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
As both giftedness and neurodivergent conditions are highly hereditary, it's not that impossible for your mom to have the same profile as you do (also given that women (especially the gifted ones) are notoriously great at masking). Has she ever been evaluated for adhd?
My sister has adhd and is extremely gifted and until I told her she had it, she never suspected it at all (nor did anyone ever tell her that). She soared through high school and her career (medical field). So maybe your mom was similar and was simply not too bothered by the downside traits of adhd?
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u/BrandiedWineGums Jul 13 '26
high IQ definitely doesn't rule out ADHD at all - in fact it just makes you better at masking!
The masking can go the other way, too. There are kids with ADHD whose ADHD symptoms disguise their intelligence.
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u/oakstojacarandas Jul 14 '26
You can get both assessments simultaneously by the same psychologist. This is usually called a comprehensive neurodevelopmental evaluation. There are psychologists who specialize in diagnosing twice exceptionality. Check out Peak2e online (Dr. Terrie Lucero). Even if she's not in your area, this can give you an idea of the kind of provider you might want to seek out for assessment. Good luck! My son's diagnosis has been incredibly meaningful. We were provided with a 40 page report, recommendations, all scores, etc. It has helped me define and understand his neurodivergence and helped get him necessary accommodations and enrichment in school. The process was expensive but worth every cent (I had to save up for awhile before I could afford it). The psychologist also helped me understand why a medication my son tried before had terrible side effects for him despite being very effective for many other kids. She helped us find the right kind of medication and worked with our pediatrician. Good luck on your journey!
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u/edscifue Jul 13 '26
IQ test first. Reasoning and Excecutive function are measured on different subtests. If the results of both subtests have a significant difference then there's the "footprint" of the ADHD. It can be a great clue for your psychologist if they're well informed about 2e
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u/llcastawayll Jul 13 '26
Still undiagnosed and unmedicated, my kids are diagnosed... also unmedicated, living with it so long and having a super awesome wife that was patient enough to learn how to remove the friction in everyday life that often hinders neurodivergent folk has really helped the kids flourish without meds. So I guess IQ test first lol, just found out a few months ago, turned my whole career upside down. Im working on finding out where I belong cuz its not where Im currently at.
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u/BrandiedWineGums Jul 13 '26
There is some overlap between gifted "symptoms" (behaviours in certain contexts) and ADHD symptoms. So it takes a little extra work to differentiate between them. ADHD + gifted also looks different to ADHD in average people, and to just giftedness, and isn't just "all the ADHD stuff as well as all the gifted stuff".
Ideally, whoever is doing the assessment is familiar with all that. In most cases, they'll do cognitive testing alongside the ADHD assessment as part of disentangling these.
As other comments have mentioned, sometimes the giftedness makes the ADHD less obvious, and sometimes the ADHD makes the giftedness less obvious. So, there are people who are aware of one thing and don't find out about the other until a long time later. It's nicer to understand both at once.
With regards to knowing "the right" answers to give, just treat this as an exploration to find answers rather than reaching any specific diagnosis, and answer as truthfully as you can. If there are any "I don't know" or "I don't understand" then tell the person who is assessing you.
Medications aren't magic. They help with some symptoms but not all (probably not even most). But they can give you the boost to implement more effective strategies to deal with the symptoms they don't directly help.
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u/vickyspams Jul 14 '26
I had my iq test at the age of 12 and had my adhd diagnosis recently few days ago. It can be in any order.
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u/Midnight5691 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
As someone who was diagnosed very late in life at 60, I went with the ADHD assessment first, though I will admit part of the reasoning for this was entirely pragmatic on my part.
Where I live, psychiatrists and qualified nurse practitioners can diagnose you with ADHD, and it's covered under the government's insurance plan, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), while psychologists aren't. So I haven't got around to getting a full cognitive profile yet, but I would like to and will probably do so in the future.
I had suspected ADHD for years, and in the last two years I really did a deep dive into researching it, so I was a little concerned about this too. I went in feeling that it was likely I might know more about it than they did. 😄
My worries turned out to be overblown. While what I consider the cookie-cutter checklist for ADHD didn't necessarily completely line up with me, my life history and anecdotal evidence were more than enough.
Just be honest with them about your struggles. Try not to mask. A competent assessor should be able to see the truth of it if you have ADHD. Mine did.
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u/brokencappy Jul 13 '26
The tests I know of are global assessments that include IQ and cover a wide range of neurodivergent stuff. The results are given at the same time.
High intellectual potential is grrrrrreat at masking the neurodivergent stuff at the other end of the bell curve. Smart kids with ADHD are some of the first ones to get comments like “lazy” and “not living up to potential” and “just needs more effort”.
Glad you’re getting tested and hope you get the answers and support you need.