Gifted people and misdiagnosis?

Post Reply New Topic

I live in a flat with two other girls. One is diagnosed with aspergers syndrome (I'll call her A) and the other has been screened for just about everything (I'll call her B). A's mother remarked on how "abnormal" B seemed and how she believed she wasn't a neurotypical. I personally don't care all that much about putting labels on my friends, especially if they are functioning well enough on their own. However B told me that she has synesthesia, which makes her the third person I know with it. She seemed a bit insecure about mentioning it, even though quite a few of our friends have it. She seemed concerned about being labelled, which is an understandable thing.

She told me that throughout her life until very recently, she was screened for all sorts of things, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, maybe autism, etc. She mentioned that she used to get bored at school an awful lot, but that changed as soon as the reading level was increased. She's quite introverted and almost aspieish in that she has some very intense interests and can sometimes monologue about something she's really into. However, she's not really struggling with any of the deficits related to autism. Aside from some sensory issues, she's really independent and sociable and seems to have no problem functioning.

She kind of reminds me of my sister, actually. My sister was a gifted child and , similarly, found school to be awful because she wasn't challenged enough. She also has very intense interests and can talk about them forever. I think B is probably a genius, given her grades in school and how skilled she is in her chosen field. I wonder many gifted children are mistaken as disabled in their lifetime?

She was recently screened again for ADHD, but the tests seem negative. I honestly just think these "ADHD traits" are just boredom from not being stimulated or finding certain tasks quite repetitive, rather than difficulty with executive dysfunction.

Obviously, you can be gifted AND disabled, but I don't think that applies to her. I certainly don't think she's neurotypical, but I don't think she's disabled either.

Does anybody relate to this or knows anybody like this?

Honestly, humans are far more complex creatures than the DSM V allows for. She can be a lovely, gifted woman who has issues that don't fit neatly into any of their little labels.

At the end of the day, if she's getting the help she needs for her issues and is comfortable with herself, then she is fine. But only she knows how well she's doing.

Personally, I think "gifted" people are on the neurodiverse spectrum and that this includes a variety of genes that lead to some vague oddness along with the high IQ. Some may have ADHD, some may have other issues, but they don't need to have ASD. And I really love these people -- they are definitely "my" kind of people.