is it possible to have untreated ADHD but good grades?

Parents Forum Learning Differences and Challenges - LD, ADHD
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<p>Yes, it is certainly possible. And it can certainly lead to a late diagnosis, especially if you’re a female with a high IQ who has the “inattentive type” of ADHD. I was undiagnosed until midway through high school (about 4 or 5 years ago), and I always had pretty good grades (averaging in the A- B+ range). The thing is, I always struggled a lot to get those grades. ADHD manifests itself differently in different people, but for me… I was always very good at taking tests and completing papers and projects (except for science projects haha), but I was terrible at getting homework in completed, on time, or even at all. Even if I knew how to do the work, it was a huge struggle for me, and still is to some extent. When I was finally diagnosed, I was so glad to have an explanation for why it was so hard for me to be organized and focused like “normal” kids. </p>

<p>I still land in roughly the same grade range in college, but it can be agony getting there sometimes because there’s always a point in the semester when I feel like I’m about to fail. But then I take a few more tests, hand in a project or two, work with my academic coach, and things usually turn out alright. </p>

<p>I see there’s a debate on here about medication. I tried it, I didn’t think it was for me. If you’re diagnosed with ADHD… Medication might be good for you or it might not. Try it only if you want to. There’s huge comfort in just knowing that there’s a name for what’s going on inside your head and being able to read up on it and seek guidance from those who will understand the nature of the disorder and what you might be going through. Academic accommodations can also be a huge help, so if you’re diagnosed, definitely get those, whether you think you’ll need them or not.</p>

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<p>“I thought children didn’t get ADHD, and only had ADD. This seems like the case for the OP anyways.”</p>

<p>ADD is the common name for ADHD: inattentive type. So basically, ADD is a type of ADHD. The best way for me to explain inattentive type would be to say that the hyperactivity mainly occurs in the mind and therefore does not have as much of an obvious physical manifestation as compared to other types of ADHD. Hence the “H” being dropped from the colloquial acronym.</p>

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<p>"I do not use medication and I do not get special treatment by anyone. I am taking 5 honors classes 4 APs and 2 college classes as a sophomore and I have a 3.9 unweighted GPA.</p>

<p>So the answer is yes. You need to stop dwelling on the fact that you Might have ADHD and push yourself to succeed"</p>

<p>I’d just like to point out that accommodations aren’t “special treatment,” they’re meant to level the playing field for disadvantaged students. Also, it’s perfectly fine for people to wonder if they have a disorder and seek out help if they think it will benefit them in the long run. I, for one, found that the diagnosis I sought out actually helped me to know myself better and therefore has helped me to succeed in a college environment.</p>

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<p>I have terrible ADD and it made it nearly impossible for me to graduate high school with passing grades. If your “untreated ADHD” doesn’t significantly impair your work or relationships, why bother?</p>

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<p>I was recently diagnosed at 48. I did really well in school/college but my strategy to cope was “stay longer, work harder”. That creates a really unbalanced life that comes at the cost of your family (if you chose to have one) and your sanity (because you work twice as hard as anyone around you). </p>

<p>I guess if I would have known in college I would want the playing field leveled and not stacked against me. If you have poor eye sight, you wear glasses right? </p>

<p>That’s my 2 cents.</p>

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<p>^Exactly what I’m feeling now, as I’m in college atm.</p>

<p>I’m doing fine, but I’m also spending more time than I reasonably should to focus on things. </p>

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<p>I was diagnosed with ADHD pretty late, when I was 14 years of age. I always struggled with concentration, had some severe ADHD symptoms, and had to work ten times as hard as my younger sister for the same grades in the same classes (she was a year younger and a grade ahead). However, I was smart, and I came up with numerous coping strategies during grade and middle school and was able to maintain a 4.0 during highschool. Once I was diagnosed, I decided to try and not take medication if at all possible, and was fine with working harder than my peers for good grades. I ended up finished my associates before graduating highschool, scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT, and am doing very well at my university. I’m double majoring in Biology and Chemistry (Chem with a concentration in Biochemistry) and minoring in finance. I am very involved in research, have a good part time job, have won national championships in my sport. I have a 4.0 GPA. It takes every bit of me to be able to handle everything, but I’m learning to adapt and cope. I slip up, sometimes royally, due to my ADHD, but I’m able to get back on track and try again. It’s been a learning experience. Some say that I can’t possibly have ADHD because I’m successful academically but I know my test results, and I know how hard I have to work behind the scenes just to appear normal. There’s no doubt in my mind that I have ADHD, I just refuse to let it be a crutch and I’m willing to work hard to overcome it. I’m female if that makes any difference.</p>

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<p>I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. Acquaintances from high school, college, and grad school would probably be shocked to know that I was struggling with ADHD because I got very good grades, did extremely well on standardized tests, and was considered an excellent student. But those who knew me well when I was growing up weren’t all that surprised. </p>

<p>Knowing yourself is key to dealing with ADHD, IMO. I constantly struggle with organization and attentiveness. Sometimes I think I actually create “crises” for myself because the adrenalin helps me focus. Learning how to “think on my feet” and becoming an excellent problem solver has been my coping mechanism. I tend to do well with short-term projects and situations where I need to react to changing conditions and client demands. I am not good with routine and have problems staying on track and being as proactive as I should be. I work as a research consultant, which is perfect for me.</p>

<p>Not surprisingly, I tend to be drawn to people who also have ADHD. (Birds of a feather…) My husband has ADHD, too, but more inattentive type. He deals with his disorder very differently than I do—by overcompensating with imposed structure. He’s the king of schedules and routines. Some disorder—opposite coping styles—good partnership. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>I’m pretty sure that my daughter (junior in high school) also has ADHD tendencies. She’s a lot like me. She does very well in school but struggles with organization and staying on track. She’s interested in getting an MD/PhD, which is demanding for even the best of students. I’ve told her that if her ADHD becomes an issue, she needs to get a proper evaluation and treatment sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t consider medication to be a crutch necessarily, but I do think that misuse is all too easy and should be avoided at all costs. That’s why proper supervision is imperative if medication does become part of how you deal with the disorder. </p>

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<p>I am 20 yrs old, I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was nineteen. ADD is a more common term now, the hyperactivity has been fazed out, I want to inform you a little more about ADD from my experience. Taking longer to do honework without breaking for music and stuff could be a sign, being rtired during the day and active at night is a clear sign, insomnia. Your attention could be an issue, my advice is if it aint broke don’t fix it. Add medications come with a world of problems, to begin with, you have to be seen often to raise/lower or even get prescriptions. They cannot be faxed. Serious health risk are involved. From insomnia, to being over sleepy, hungry all the time, or never, brain fog occosianally. High blood pressure, shakey hands, anxiety, and all for a little more focus. Its almost not worth it</p>

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<p>Can you elaboarte on the accommodations available and any tips you know of? Im going for staright a’S this semester</p>

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<p>I haven’t read all the posts, but the answer is “yes.” A person can have ADHD and have excellent grades. Each person is different and their executive function can also be different.</p>

<p>My H has ADHD and always had excellent grades…Sal of his class. Graduated Summa Cum Laude from a top univ… Straight As for grad school. And, he never missed a work deadline.</p>

<p>But he has serious Executive Function limitations in other areas…which could have been somewhat mitigated by good parenting, which he did NOT have at all. (what I mean in this instance, having parents that helped him learn some coping skills, etc, would have helped. However, his parents did NOTHING and were negligent in most areas of child-rearing).</p>

<p>I think one reason why he always got super grades and never missed a work deadline is because he prided himself with those two things…school and work. Everything else…procrastination, forgetfulness, doesn’t pay attention to details (other than school/work), etc. </p>

<p>For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out what was going on. He didn’t tell me about his ADD/Ritalin childhood…lol. It wasn’t until he was DX’d again as an older adult and I learned more about it that so many things now make sense. </p>

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<p>ADD and ADHD are going to be different for every person. One of the most common symptoms is slower information processing speed. Part of my diagnosis was taking an IQ test, which I scored extremely high in most areas except for Information processing. Some people may do excellent without any professional help or accommodations.</p>

<p>IMHO, some people may have the lack of focus component, but not the information processing component.</p>

<p>I wasn’t diagnosed until late in college. In high school and college, I was a B student. My ACT scores were ok, 25, IIRC. The time constraints on the ACT are what killed me. It wasn’t until I graduated college, that I started seeing a councilor and taking Adderall. </p>

<p>About 3 years later, I went back to college to study mathematics and computer science (My BS is in Marketing from Purdue, lol) Blazed through the classes. Maintained a 3.95. I had an A+ in a weeder class where the next highest grade was an A- and, the semester before only 3 people got B’s.</p>

<p>This was with a combo of meds and therapy. I never used accommodations, except for one class at Purdue, I got diagnosed in my senior year. </p>

<p>Looking back, I think my potential was constrained by these issues. So, I think it is possible to do well in school with ADHD–it’s just that ADHD affects every person who has it differently. It is simply a challenge in life that you can overcome. How one overcomes it varies from person to person.</p>

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<p>I’m a college senior and was just recently diagnosed with ADD, which my doctor believes went undetected as a child. ADD also brought out depression and anxiety for me, which I did not seek treatment until recently. That said, going back to your concern, it is most certainly possible to maintain good grades without seeking treatment. It all depends on the individual and how he or she is able to maintain and control symptoms.</p>

<p>For me, I’ve had problems with hyperactivity and a short-attention span. It’s not the hyperactivity you’d picture: the kid running around causing disruption and problems. In retrospect, I was that kid in grade school, but I’ve learned to control it through discipline. I was able to maintain good grades up until high school when my symptoms got progressively worse. I couldn’t keep focus, reading was extremely difficult, and many people attributed these symptoms to my so-called 'laziness," which I received many criticisms for. I would get hyperactive at the evening, so I ended up going on long-distant runs at late night, and I even joined Cross Country to relieve my constant tension to be doing “something” even though I should be sleeping. </p>

<p>The biggest set-back for me was that I couldn’t afford to see a psychiatrist or a therapist. My family is dirt poor, and we can’t even afford health insurance. Every time I did bring up something, everyone around me told me to just “deal with it.” I ended up managing a 3.3 GPA in high school, a B+ average. Definitely not bad, considering how bad my symptoms got. I don’t remember my exact SAT/ACT scores, but I received around 1800 on my SAT and a 30 on my ACT. </p>

<p>When I started college, I received free health insurance through the school, which I have been taking advantage of. I started seeing therapy for major depression and was ultimately referred to a psychiatrist. I’ve been on antidepressants for awhile but just recently stopped taking them. My psychiatrist initially thought my problems were mainly stemming from depression or General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), but just recently she declared that my depression and anxiety both resulted from ADD, which went by undetected my whole life. I’m taking stimulant medication now and it’s helped me so much. I don’t feel tense anymore, and I find that I’m much more productive with my time in the day so I can relax at night and get good night’s rest. </p>

<p>That said, I still do struggle at times with my symptoms. I have a hard time following orders unless I literally write them down and drill it into my head. I digress when I speak and often jump around seemingly random topics which throws a lot of people off. I get bored sometimes when I talk to people and space out often. Spacing out is a huge thing for me, I tend to daydream or think about a number of other things all at once which then stresses me out and leaves me distracted. Therapy has been immensely helpful, with a combination of taking meds. When people meet me, they never think I have any symptoms of ADD, but little do they know. My grades in college are kick-a** and I’ve come such a long way! Don’t let ADHD get to you, do something about it, talk to someone. Don’t let it control your college experience.</p>

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<p>If it doesn’t affect you, you don’t have to get diagnosed and treated for it.</p>

<p>Really all the bull about “what age it appears” etc. is assuming it is a disease not a set of symptoms. It is like autism, a set of symptoms.</p>

<p>If you have figured out how to compensate, more power to you. If you suffer in any way, then it is time to see a doctor about a possible diagnosis.</p>

<p>My brother and I think we have ADD, but really we compensate so never ever had a diagnosis. What you say about falling asleep is not ADD, maybe it is a sleep disorder.</p>

<p>I don’t know, I think some of it is a personality trait, having to move around a lot, being bored easily. Not to say medication doesn’t help some, but what is now a “disorder” used to be a variation in how kids (and adults) behave.</p>

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<p>Your story sounds like mine. I wasn’t sure about taking medication because my case wasn’t too severe, and I was worried about any side effects, even though I hadn’t heard of many. Anyway, I ended up getting a prescription. To be honest, my grades didn’t really change that much, but I was noticeably more attentive during class. I wouldn’t recommend it as a means to just improve your grades.</p>

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<p>This is not for the OP but for others with similar questions since this post is 2 years old. It is a common question/tactic.</p>

<p>It is not uncommon for people from other countries who have had no problems with ADHD to feign them to get accommodations that would allow them more time on the admissions tests. Let’s not be naive here and let’s not provide hints. Widespread cheating among students in China has just, again, been revealed. Universities in the US are simply tired of it! If you are at an age where you are considering college and have not encountered any problems with academics due to ADHD, then you don’t have the disorder. Typical kids learn to become less distracted and they learn to focus and ignore other distractions. Nobody is naturally hardwired to ignore interesting things while attending to boring ones. It takes effort for everyone. The problem for those with ADHD is that their efforts don’t work. They can’t inhibit their impulse to respond to everything else that is more interesting to them then is school work. If you can inhibit that, and you can if you got straight A’s , then you don’t have the disorder. The disorder is a pervasive, intrusive, horrid thing to have, believe me, I know. It is not something A students all of a sudden start to think about right before applying to college. And I resent the people who game systems by pretending to have it. Ironically, more time is more helpful to those like OP who have had not problems whatsoever and who dont’ have the disorder and it actually does little the help people with ADHD. More time will go down in history as one of the all time stupidest interventions ever because fakers benefit from it while people struggling with the disorder do not. Why in God’s name someone thought giving more time to people with ADHD would help them is beyond me. </p>

<p>So, yeah the chances of your being dx are slim except if you cheat somehow because if you have good grades, and have not encountered problems (that are also documented–don’t make them up now) then you don’t have it. So no, don’t bother…please!</p>

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<p>Anyone getting a ADHD diagnosis as an adult who had no apparent problems until adulthood, and who got A’s, should see a different doctor. ADHD is a pervasive developmental disorder. It does not just appear. It can go undiagnosed. But the upshot for those undiagnosed is that they do poorly in school, have loads of social problems and most drop out. So I am not implying that an adult can’t be correctly diagnosed with ADHD for the first time as an adult but I am saying that there would have to be a history of problems that may have been attributed to other things or misdiagnosed as “emotional problems” or “day dreams too much (as in all day long)” or some such in childhood. But someone with no such problems who is diagnosed for the first time as an adult has just been misdiagnosed. </p>

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I have been diagnosed with ADHD since junior high. It is definitely possible for a student with ADHD to have good grades despite their disability, and the myth that a high-achieving student cannot have a disability is very harmful but common myth. In elementary school I was originally denied legal disability accommodations because my IQ scores were supposedly “too high” for me to be disabled (as if IQ scores are the only measure of cognitive ability), even though I had trouble with basic executive function and following instructions. Today I no longer use medication because I dislike the side effects, but I do not think I would have been able to graduate high school at all without a 504 Plan. But if your suspected ADHD is not worrying you or causing you issues then you really don’t have to do anything about it.