2E: Students with Giftedness
and ADHD
Diagnosis, Characteristics, and
Service Delivery
Diagnosing 2E
• ADHD and Giftedness together occur in about 27% of the total special education population
• Increased risk for misdiagnosis due to difficulty
remaining focused during transitions, staying
organized, and sustaining attention during lessmotivating activities
• Gifted children may be inappropriately referred
for ADHD diagnosis, but actually have “restless
intellect”
• Addressing a gifted student’s academic needs
often eliminates ADHD-like symptoms
Characteristics of Giftedness
(that look like ADHD)
• Impulsivity – diminishes with coaching
• Inattention – can repeat instructions even when not
paying attention
• Inappropriate behavior in class – child often can
explain misbehavior, diminishes with appropriate
academic placement
• Social immaturity – diminishes with contact with
academic peers
• Peer difficulties – diminishes with contact with
academic peers
• Does not follow rules – diminishes with appropriate
academic placement
Characteristics of ADHD (with or
without giftedness)
• Impulsivity – persists even with correction and
coaching
• Inattention – cannot repeat instructions
• Inappropriate behavior in class – child often feels “out
of control” and cannot explain behavior
• Social immaturity – regardless of peer group
• Peer difficulties – regardless of peer group
• Does not follow rules – child often is not even aware of
rules, or has not learned how to adhere to them
Characteristics of 2E
(ADHD + Giftedness)
• Exhibit problem behaviors across settings (at school, in
extracurricular activities, and at home)
• Exhibit continual and random activity and diffuse
attention, with difficulty focusing on one activity or
conversation
• Exhibit a wider and more debilitating discrepancy
between intellectual age and social/emotional ages
• Painfully aware of their differences and academic
failures and misbehaviors, which results in acting out
(especially anger)
• Inconsistent academic performance from day to day,
even in the same subject
Service Needs of 2E (ADHD and Gifted)
• Address giftedness first
• Medication is often contraindicated as it may suppress
cognitive ability and creativity
• Subject acceleration may be appropriate
• Minimize teacher talk, maximize exploration and active
engagement in learning and inquiry
• Teach word processing/computer skills to compensate
for written expression issues
• http://lcps.k12.nm.us/wpcontent/uploads/2013/02/Teaching-Students-who-areGifted-and-ADD-HD.pdf