KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: ADHD and Creativity

If you're a parent of a child with ADHD, then you've probably noticed their creative side.  Many parents of ADHD kids say their kids are very creative and now there is scientific proof to back up that belief.  A new study in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences reports that adults with ADHD are more creative than those who don't have the disorder.  The study claims that the mental distractions actually allow a pathway to new ways of thinking.  The study says that the same processes in the brain that create the problems of hyperactivity and distraction are also the same processes that allow for more creativity.  Researchers say that not being completely focused allows the mind to make associations that might not otherwise happen.  That creative upside is welcome news to many kids and parents who take medicine daily to control their ADHD.  Many doctors agree that ADHD kids are gifted because of the way they process information and the way they think.  Doctors remind parents of ADHD kids to keep regular pediatric appointments for their children so that they can closely monitor their children's medication needs.