Gifted + ADHD + Autism: How they interact

When my oldest child began to walk, he refused to wear sneakers. I would try and try and he would just take them off again. In the summer months, I tried to get him to wear hats. Again, they didn’t last a second. I could never buy him character socks, because all the strings inside would bother his feet. If the seam of the toes of the socks were not adjusted properly, we would have to adjust them. 

He was always an old soul, a deep thinker, inquisitive, and always observing. He didn’t speak complete sentences until he was 3. Of course as a first time mom I worried but trusted he would speak soon. I was teaching in public school at that time and had received training on gifted children. I suspected he might be gifted, and once he started Kindergarten he tested into the Gifted and Talented program.  As a teenager he is only comfortable wearing plain t-shirts and gym shorts. He refuses to wear pants. He says they just make him uncomfortable. Some days I wondered if he was very high functioning autistic.

My youngest child was very challenging as a baby. He would cry and cry and nothing would console him. He’s my picky eater. For months he would only eat applesauce pouches and crackers. He also had food allergies so I chalked it up to that. As he grew older he was much better about trying new foods. Although, he will stick to one food (currently chicken) and that’s all he will eat for weeks on end. He’s also a VERY high energy child. When he’s home he’s jumping off the couch, singing loudly, making noises, and unable to sit for long. He doesn’t perform academically as well as his brother, but he makes these amazing connections, enjoys making plays of words, and enjoys figuring out equations in his head when it comes to real life situations. From my training, he’s gifted as well.

If you were to google any of these qualities, you might find articles like “Is my child autistic?” “Does my child have ADHD?” “Could my child be gifted?” While labels are important to make sure that we are meeting the needs of the child, labeling becomes so challenging because autism, ADHD, and giftedness looks so different in every child! And guess what, they are all interchangeable! Take a look at this venn diagram to see how they all relate. 

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A lot of times labels can be scary, especially when they are related to our children. I tell families to look at the diagnoses as a learning tool! The best thing we can do for our children is to learn about their qualities and challenges, and support them in ways that are best for them!

Would you like more information about Autism, ADHD, and Giftedness? We are always here to answer any questions you may have.