Children with high IQ scores are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD later in life according to new study

A new study has indicated that children with high IQ scores are more likely to receive a diagnosis of ADHD later in life.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, have issues with concentration and may struggle to focus.

The symptoms associated with ADHD are often noticed in early childhood, therefore many cases are diagnosed in kids under the age of 12. However, sometimes symptoms go unnoticed and people with ADHD are diagnosed as adults.

The main symptoms of ADHD can include short attention span; difficulties concentrating or carrying out instructions; being unable to sit still; impatience and excessive movement and talking.

Over the last two decades, there's been an increase in the number of people being diagnosed with ADHD, which has led to more research into the disorder, including how it is diagnosed in different groups.

A new study published in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology used data from a sample of children in Ontario, Canada, and aimed to understand whether other factors - such as cognitive ability and the type of symptoms people were experiencing - could lead to a later diagnosis.

For example, research suggests that girls exhibit different types of ADHD symptoms to boys, which could lead to the condition being overlooked or going unnoticed for longer.

The research found that those with higher IQ scores were more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis at a later age.

Meanwhile, children with hyperactive and impulsive symptoms received early diagnosis, potentially because disruptive behaviour could correlate with symptoms being noticed more easily by parents and teachers.

Speaking about the study on Reddit, many people with ADHD said they could relate.

One person commented: "That hits deep. I've only been diagnosed in my mid 30s because until then I could mask my deficiencies with just being smarter and more efficient than others. So I had to do less work to achieve the same. School work came easy to me because it played perfectly towards my unquenchable thirst for knowledge, which kept me engaged."

While another said: "Absolute same. I crushed school because I loved learning and expectations and tasks were clear and I liked doing well on tests. College and grad school were progressively more difficult, and just working sucked. And then in my 30s I was like, why is it so hard to DO anything. My therapist suggested ADD and I started taking meds and if was like... oh."

And a third added: "You just summarised my life. My mom got me do an IQ-test when I was a kid and I scored above average, so my parents assumed nothing was wrong with me. I was a dreamer. I also enjoyed learning (still do) so my grades were good (for the subjects I liked).

"Now I'm in my 30s and got diagnosed with ADHD, mostly inattentive."