Re: Is your IQ so high it can't be measured? ADHD superpowers

[kc5jck]

I don’t think that there is any causal effect between ADHD and IQ. I think we can all agree that, regardless of IQ, as people with ADHD, we are presented with challanges, of various types for various reasons, because of our ADHD which require us to spend time in seeking solutions. If we are able to find productive solutions, as opposed to having a melt down or tantrum, then any component of intellegence due to brain plasticity will possibly be increased from this extra problem solving which we as ADHD have to do on a daily basis. I can’t imagine that this effect would lead to the developement of “Superpowers.”

I am not at all familiar with IQ testing theory, but suspect that the verbal portion of such tests are to a great extent measures memory and the ability, in some cases, to relate root words to questions on such a test. Other portions of the test require the application of acquired knowledge to get a solution. Both of which require memory. And the better the memory, particularly for details, the better the performance.

Like many of you, I live in what most would charitably call a “disorganized” environment. As a result, I have developed a “skill” of finding things. It’s like one of those pictures of a cluttered room where you are supposed to find the frog, lamp, screwdriver, cat, or whatever. This has possibly increased my IQ slightly as it requires a combination of memory (in the event the sought after object is under the dishtowel) and observation, two components of IQ, which are daily exercised. (Who needs Lumosity, right?)

So although there may not be a causal relationship, I feel, for the above reasons, that there is most likely an influential relationship. Depending on the success or failure of one’s problem solving, I suppose this influence could be negative as well as positive and if positive could potentially be significant.

I have taken a variety of IQ tests and feel pretty confident that my IQ is at least in the 99.9 percentile and it has been scored as high as 99.98. This was enough for me to get through high school and college but my performance was “not up to my potential” probably due to ADHD. Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I wondered why I couldn’t learn more and had trouble with things such as differential equations or the more technical aspects of the sciences. Now I have an explanation.

So the bottom line for me is that I think that ADHD might have given my IQ a slight boost because of all of the various academic interests (distractions) I have had over the years. But the argument could well be made that ADHD has prevented me from fully utilizing what I have. (Not to mention all the other problems commonly occurring with and from ADHD.)

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