If you’ve struggled with focus, felt misunderstood, or want to understand how your brain works best, our ADHD and IQ testing services are designed to illuminate your strengths, clarify challenges, and open doors to new possibilities. Through compassionate, science-backed assessments, we help you move from frustration to understanding and from uncertainty to confidence. We routinely give ADHD and IQ tests together (such as the BRIEF Test combined with the WAIS, as seen in the example below) to help people find their true potential and the path to get there. Your ADHD and IQ test scores can point you toward greater understanding.
The Relationship Between Attention and Intelligence 
This relationship is nuanced, and it’s often misunderstood. Here’s a breakdown to clarify how they connect—and how they don’t:
1. ADHD and IQ Are Separate Constructs
- Intelligence Quotient measures cognitive abilities like reasoning, problem-solving, and verbal skills.
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder affects executive functions, such as attention, inhibition, working memory, and time management.
You can have ADHD at any IQ level—low, average, high, or gifted.
2. An Attention Deficit Doesn’t Lower Intelligence
- An attention deficit doesn’t cause a drop in raw intelligence.
- However, it can interfere with how well someone uses their intelligence in real-world settings, especially in school, work, or testing situations.
3. IQ Evaluations Can Miss ADHD
- People with high IQs often mask attentional symptoms longer, using their intelligence to compensate.
- This can delay diagnosis, especially in girls and women, or those with the inattentive type.
- On the flip side, people with ADHD may underperform on IQ tests if they’re distracted, tired, or anxious, leading to an underestimation of true intelligence.
4. Key Patterns Seen on ADHD and IQ Tests
For those with an attention deficit, ADHD and IQ test scores often show:
- Lower scores in working memory and processing speed, even if overall intelligence is average or high.
- Big gaps between cognitive potential (verbal comprehension, reasoning) and executive performance.
These discrepancies in ADHD and IQ test scores are often a red flag that an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might be present, and they’re why combining ADHD and IQ testing can be so informative.
5. High IQ Doesn’t Cancel Out ADHD
- You can be gifted and talented and have ADHD—this is sometimes called twice-exceptional (2e).
- These individuals often experience intense frustration: they know they’re capable but struggle to execute tasks consistently.
Summary
- These two constructs are independent but can interact in complex ways.
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can make it harder to access and show your full intelligence.
- Combining ADHD and IQ tests may show you how to demonstrate your full intelligence.
- Taking ADHD and IQ tests together provides a more complete picture of how a person thinks, learns, and functions, and what support they need to thrive.
ADHD and IQ Testing Overview
Combining ADHD and IQ testing can be incredibly helpful for diagnosis, self-understanding, academic or work accommodations, and tailored treatment plans. Here’s a breakdown:
Who is ADHD and IQ Testing Used For
ADHD and IQ testing is useful for:
- Children or teens with academic struggles or behavioral concerns.
- College students seeking college accommodations or understanding learning challenges.
- Adults who suspect they may have an attention deficit or want clarity on cognitive strengths/weaknesses.
- Clinicians and educators to support diagnoses, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), or 504 plans.
What ADHD and IQ Tests Are Used?
ADHD:
Typically involves a comprehensive evaluation, which may include:
- Clinical interviews (with individual and sometimes family)
- Behavioral questionnaires (e.g., Conners 4, Vanderbilt, ASRS)
- Executive function (e.g., Continuous Performance – CPT)
- Observation and history (academic, work, medical, developmental)
IQ:
Usually done with standardized, norm-referenced tests, such as:
- Wechsler Scales:
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales
- These measure areas like:
- Verbal comprehension
- Working memory
- Processing speed
- Fluid reasoning
- Visual-spatial skills
Why Combine ADHD and IQ Tests?
Combining ADHD and IQ tests gives a full cognitive profile, highlighting:
- Strengths (e.g., high verbal IQ, creative problem-solving)
- Weaknesses (e.g., poor working memory, slow processing speed)
- Discrepancies in ADHD and IQ test scores may indicate executive functioning or other learning differences
Combining ADHD and IQ tests helps differentiate:
- Learning disabilities (like dyslexia)
- Giftedness masking ADHD
- Emotional or behavioral disorders
What Are the Beneficial Results?
- More accurate diagnosis: Ruling out or confirming attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and identifying co-occurring issues.
- Personalized interventions: Tutoring, coaching, therapy, or medication based on specific needs.
- Access to accommodations: For school or work (e.g., extended test time, quiet spaces).
- Increased self-awareness: Understanding how your brain works improves confidence and coping strategies.
- Informed treatment plans: Therapists, doctors, and teachers can tailor support more effectively.
The BRIEF Test for ADHD and IQ testing
The BRIEF Test (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function) is a questionnaire-based assessment that evaluates executive functioning—the brain’s ability to plan, organize, regulate emotions, focus, and manage time—all of which are central to ADHD.
What Does The BRIEF Test Cover
Here are the main areas (or “scales”) the BRIEF Test covers:
1. Inhibit
- What it means: The ability to stop impulses, resist distractions, and think before acting.
- Example: Interrupting others or blurting things out without meaning to.
2. Shift
- What it means: The ability to move smoothly from one idea, situation, or task to another.
- Example: Getting stuck on one thought, struggling with change, or rigid thinking.
3. Emotional Control
- What it means: Managing emotional responses appropriately to the situation.
- Example: Overreacting to small setbacks or having difficulty calming down when upset.
4. Initiate
- What it means: Starting tasks or activities independently and with confidence.
- Example: Staring at a blank screen before writing a paper, even when you know what to say.
5. Working Memory
- What it means: Holding and using information in your mind while doing a task.
- Example: Forgetting instructions halfway through or losing track mid-conversation.
6. Plan/Organize
- What it means: Anticipating future tasks, setting goals, and figuring out steps to complete them.
- Example: Trouble organizing an essay or managing time for a multi-step project.
7. Organization of Materials
- What it means: Keeping physical items and spaces orderly.
- Example: Losing important items, a messy desk or backpack, forgetting where things are.
8. Monitor
- What it means: Check your performance and behavior to ensure you’re on track.
- Example: Making careless mistakes, not noticing social cues, or missing deadlines.
Composite Indexes
The BRIEF Test also groups these into broader areas:
- Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI): Inhibit, Shift, Emotional Control
- Metacognition Index (MI): Initiate, Working Memory, Plan/Organize, Organization of Materials, Monitor
- Global Executive Composite (GEC): Overall executive functioning score
How Is the BRIEF Test Used
This measure is especially useful because it examines executive functioning in real life, not just in clinical or academic settings. If you’re exploring ADHD, learning differences, or want clarity on how your brain manages tasks, the BRIEF is a powerful tool.
- Identifies real-world executive function struggles that may not show up on IQ measures.
- Helps distinguish attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from other conditions (e.g., anxiety, mood disorders).
- Adds context to behavioral symptoms—useful for diagnosis and treatment planning.
How It Connects to IQ Testing
- IQ measures (like the WAIS or WISC) measure cognitive capacity, while the BRIEF Test shows how those abilities are used in daily life.
- For example:
- A person may have average or high IQ but poor BRIEF Test scores → supports ADHD diagnosis.
- Large gaps between working memory or processing speed on intelligence measures and BRIEF Test scores → indicates executive dysfunction.
Why It’s Valuable
- Strengthens the diagnostic picture when combined with ADHD and IQ testing.
- Guides interventions like:
- Executive function coaching
- School/work supports
- Therapy strategies
- Helps track progress over time with treatment.
Case example 1: ADHD and IQ Testing for a College Student
Here’s a case example of a college student who we gave ADHD and IQ tests to understand his brain better and choose a career path:
“Alex” – A 20-Year-Old College Student
- Sophomore in college, undecided major
- Struggled with focus, time management, procrastination, and finishing assignments
- Brilliant in class discussions, but had a hard time organizing essays and studying for exams
- Feels overwhelmed and unsure of long-term career direction
Alex’s ADHD and IQ Test Scores:
- Self-report and parent interviews showed lifelong attention issues, especially with sustained effort and deadlines
- Scored high on inattention and executive function deficits
- BRIEF Test revealed challenges with:
- Task initiation
- Working memory
- Organization
- Emotional regulation under stress
- IQ Evaluation (WAIS-IV)
- Verbal Comprehension: Superior (high 120s)
- Perceptual Reasoning: Above average
- Working Memory: Low average
- Processing Speed: Below average
- Synthesis of ADHD and IQ test scores
- Overall IQ: High average
- ADHD and IQ test scores showed big discrepancies between verbal reasoning and processing speed/working memory
- Strong signs of inattention
- Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and executive functioning impairments
Outcomes and Career Planning:
Academic Accommodations:
- Extra time on exams
- Priority registration
- Note-taking support
- Coaching for executive skills
Career Guidance Based on Strengths:
- Strength: Verbal reasoning, abstract thinking, interpersonal communication
- Challenge: Routine-heavy, detail-oriented, or fast-paced multitasking roles
Recommended Career Paths:
- Psychology
- Marketing/branding strategy
- Counseling or coaching
- Creative writing or communications
- Teaching (with support for planning tools)
Avoided Paths:
- High-volume data entry
- Jobs with strict deadlines and multitasking
- Roles requiring fast processing under pressure (e.g., emergency dispatch, auditing)
Benefits Alex Gained:
- ADHD and IQ test scores provided a clear diagnosis and a tailored support plan
- Discovered career paths aligned with strengths, avoiding burnout
- Developed confidence in how her brain works
- Created a long-term strategy for success in college and career
Case example 2: ADHD and IQ Testing for an Adult
Here’s a case example of a woman whose undiagnosed ADHD was uncovered through ADHD and IQ testing in adulthood, shedding light on long-standing struggles and opening new doors:
“Sara” – A 28-Year-Old Woman
- Smart, creative, but always felt like she was “underperforming”
- Struggled with finishing projects, managing time, and remembering appointments
- Often labeled as “lazy” or “scattered” growing up—internalized a lot of guilt
- Had multiple job changes, burnout, and difficulty choosing a career path
- Recently heard about underdiagnoses of attentional issues in women and related deeply—decided to seek testing
Sarah’s ADHD and IQ Testing Scores:
- ADHD Evaluation
- Clinical interview revealed:
- Lifelong symptoms of inattention, emotional dysregulation, and mental fatigue
- High masking skills—she overcompensated with perfectionism
- BRIEF-A scores:
- Elevated issues in task initiation, sustained attention, organization, and self-monitoring
- Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): Met criteria, predominantly inattentive type
- IQ (WAIS-IV)
- Verbal Comprehension: High (superior range)
- Perceptual Reasoning: High average
- Working Memory: Low average
- Processing Speed: Very low
- Large discrepancy between potential (IQ) and functional output (EF skills)
What the ADHD and IQ Test Scores Revealed:
- Combining ADHD and IQ test scores showed that Sara wasn’t “lazy” or “bad at adulting”—she had undiagnosed ADHD
- Her high intelligence allowed her to mask symptoms for years, but she paid the price in stress, burnout, and self-doubt
- The mismatch between her cognitive strengths and her executive functioning explained the constant frustration and career indecision
Outcomes and Impact:
Diagnosis and Validation:
- Received an official diagnosis
- Combining ADHD and IQ scores helped her understand that her past struggles weren’t character flaws, but neurological issues
Interventions:
- Started individual therapy and executive functioning coaching
- Trialed medication, which helped boost focus and reduce overwhelm
- Created a routine and environment tailored to her brain
- Created a holistic plan involving exercise, diet, and mindfulness therapy techniques
Career Impact:
- Recognized that she thrived in roles with creativity, flexibility, and autonomy
- Pivoted from admin-heavy office roles (where she floundered) to freelance design and consulting
- Felt empowered to advocate for accommodations and redesign her workspace
Sara’s Takeaway:
“I used to think I was failing at being an adult. Now I know my brain works differently—and that’s okay. Getting evaluated gave me language, tools, and permission to build a life that fits.”
Summary and Our Work
You deserve a life that fits how you think, learn, and work. Our goal with ADHD and IQ tests isn’t just to provide a diagnosis—it’s to help you discover the tools, language, and strategies that unlock your full potential. Whether you’re a student, professional, or simply exploring what’s next, we’re here to guide you toward a clearer path built around you. If you resonate with Sara’s story or are curious about what our evaluations could uncover, we can help you imagine what that process might look like. These evaluations can also be part of larger assessments, such as testing for learning styles.
Please contact us or schedule a consultation if you’d like to set up ADHD and IQ tests for you or a loved one, or if you’ve already had them, what your ADHD and IQ test scores mean.
