Question: Been interested in the fields of psychology and psychiatry for a while now, and I've been wondering: How is (high functioning) ADHD in gifted people perceived, and how can it be diagnosed at all?
  
  With how, in my impression, poor performance in school or education is seen as the most major tip-off for ADHD, not having this symptom could lead to either no diagnosis as no significant impairment can be seen, or one or more misdiagnoses (so far I've found cases including mood disorders, ASD, OCD, PTSD, SPD, and a case of anxiety disorder which wasn't a misdiagnosis but the ADHD was overlooked/overshadowed).
  
  Generally, how are disorders and disorders as symptoms of others separated?
  
  Please correct me if there's anything factually wrong, and I hope these questions aren't inappropriate or too hard to answer.
  
  Thank you so much for your time
Answer: ADHD is the same in high IQ people but it may not result in impairment in school or even work until later in life as burdens and responsibilities intros domains increase to a point where one's giftedness no longer protects them from adversities.  But IQ is not related to all the other impairments we see in adults with ADHD and those can be clues that a person with high IQ has the disorder.  So driving, substance use and abuse, impaired social relationships, managing money, risk taking, etc. are all ways to see if ADHD is there in high IQ people apart from just school and work, as you noted above.  So we can usually find impairment but it other domains than work and education.  The critical criterion for establishing that any disorder is present is one of harm.  Is the individual experiencing personal suffering, functional ineffectiveness, and/or adverse consequences from displaying those symptoms.  Symptoms alone do not make a disorder.  But should they be frequent and serious enough to lead to harmful consequences (impairment) then that is where a disorder gets diagnosed.  No impairment, then no disorder.  But impairment can arise in many domains than just school or work.
content: Q: Been interested in the fields of psychology and psychiatry for a while now, and I've been wondering: How is (high functioning) ADHD in gifted people perceived, and how can it be diagnosed at all?
  
  With how, in my impression, poor performance in school or education is seen as the most major tip-off for ADHD, not having this symptom could lead to either no diagnosis as no significant impairment can be seen, or one or more misdiagnoses (so far I've found cases including mood disorders, ASD, OCD, PTSD, SPD, and a case of anxiety disorder which wasn't a misdiagnosis but the ADHD was overlooked/overshadowed).
  
  Generally, how are disorders and disorders as symptoms of others separated?
  
  Please correct me if there's anything factually wrong, and I hope these questions aren't inappropriate or too hard to answer.
  
  Thank you so much for your time
   Ans: ADHD is the same in high IQ people but it may not result in impairment in school or even work until later in life as burdens and responsibilities intros domains increase to a point where one's giftedness no longer protects them from adversities.  But IQ is not related to all the other impairments we see in adults with ADHD and those can be clues that a person with high IQ has the disorder.  So driving, substance use and abuse, impaired social relationships, managing money, risk taking, etc. are all ways to see if ADHD is there in high IQ people apart from just school and work, as you noted above.  So we can usually find impairment but it other domains than work and education.  The critical criterion for establishing that any disorder is present is one of harm.  Is the individual experiencing personal suffering, functional ineffectiveness, and/or adverse consequences from displaying those symptoms.  Symptoms alone do not make a disorder.  But should they be frequent and serious enough to lead to harmful consequences (impairment) then that is where a disorder gets diagnosed.  No impairment, then no disorder.  But impairment can arise in many domains than just school or work.