Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Help Interpreting WISC-V results

If you're concerned about ADHD, I suggest having her evaluated for it. Attention can have a profound impact on IQ testing. My son's pre ADHD diagnosis FSIQ was high average, after ADHD diagnosis and treatment his GAI was extremely gifted range. It was dramatic! I explored further because there was so much difference between his FSIQ and his academic performance. Also to note, my son's teachers rated him very low for ADHD behaviors in the classroom.

My understanding is that ADHD is a diagnosis of elimination, and many other conditions can mimic the symptoms of ADHD. This is why neuropsychology will stop short of diagnosing ADHD. I would suggest the reason why the report contains so much detail is to aid in future diagnosis.

When my son was diagnosed, we went to a psychologist first to rule out anxiety or depression. The psychologist thought the anxiety was caused by his inability to control his ADHD symptoms. (He was right). The psychologist noted my son's behavior during conversation - like twallace mentioned. The psychologist also suggested that the IQ score could be a false low score.

Then we saw a pediatrician who specializing in medication management for ADHD. He started with health exam and took a lot of time exploring my son's sleep. I later learned that sleeping disorders, especially sleep apnea, present as ADHD in children.

The first medication worked for my son. Like I mentioned before, his IQ score shot up dramatically and he accelerated dramatically in academics too. He just turned 10 and is showing less need for medication in homeschool setting. When we started this journey - when he was 7 - he couldn't copy a sentence out of his grammar textbook. It was not possible, not with every accommodation I could find. He couldn't copy his math problems out correctly, he did the wrong operations, he solved problems and forgot to write down the answer, he lost his pencils (while using them), and would fall off his chair. :shudder: He doesn't have these difficulties in schoolwork, but he struggles with executive functions in life skills.

I made the mistake of believing that ADHD is all about hyper little boys. My son is not at all hyperactive! Had I realized what ADHD actually involves, I might have recognized it years sooner.