Students who are gifted and have ADHD have lots of strengths. Let these students know about their areas of strength. Develop their strengths by helping them channel their energy productively and positively. Common strengths among students who are gifted and have ADHD:

• advanced vocabulary

• strong sense of humor

• highly creative

• wide interests

• strong background knowledge (schema)

• intense curiosity

• strong memory for things that interest them

• abundant idea generation

• ability to hyperfocus when interested

To support their disability while focusing on their strengths, do the following:

• provide depth, complexity, novelty, and more intriguing tasks

• adjust work time based on complexity of task

• provide higher levels of intellectual stimulation

• promote self awareness (ex: "Am I behind in my planning?" or "Am I disorganized?")

• help them visualize and learn from past experiences (ex: "What worked or didn't work in the past?" or "What actions do I need to change?"

• teach them self-talk to modulate their future behaviors (ex: "What specific elements do I need to research for my project and why?")

• utilize technology

• use curriculum compacting to minimize repetition and boredom

  • use pretests to differentiate content

  • eliminate content that is already known

  • allow for enrichment

• accelerate when necessary:  subject acceleration, grade skipping, advanced courses, early graduation / early admission into college

Graphic: Overlapping Areas of Autism, ADHD, and Giftedness