Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional What does inattentive ADHD look like in PG tweens?

My PG DS10 is seriously lacking in executive functioning skills. So. Very. Lacking. How do you tell inattentive ADHD apart from just executive functioning problems / disorder? Does it look the same in PG kids? What is normal for PG kids?

What role do overexcitabilities play here? My son is extremely sensitive, extremely emotionally dysregulated, and extremely intense. I've always chalked it up to OEs, but I also often see it attributed to ADHD. My oldest is HG and is super sensitive and intense, but not like this.

I've also read that kids with ADHD have impaired working memory. My son's percentile in working memory is 50%, which normally would be considered average...but when the rest of his subtests are in the high 90's does that make it "impaired"? (I do observe that he can't handle me giving more than one or two verbal instructions at a time.)

I'm just really lost in all of this...any advice is appreciated!

Welcome!

No diagnosing over the internet...but I would say the behaviors you report, plus the personal weakness in working memory, do suggest that it may be worthwhile for you to have a professional look at him in person.

Being cognitively PG does not automatically mean having poor executive functions (though EF may look like a relative weakness, especially when age-typical EF is contrasted with well-advanced-for-age cognitive or academic skills). At his age, he should be able to handle more than one-step directions, whether PG or NT. A thoughtful and comprehensive evaluation by a qualified professional (neuropsychologist, clinical psych, experienced school psych) may help you to tease out what is age-appropriate, what is personally discrepant, where it might be coming from, etc. Do look at experience with and sensitivity toward GT kiddos as you are selecting providers. This makes a considerable difference in the usefulness (and sometimes even the accuracy) of the evaluation.