Understanding adolescent gifted girls with ADHD: motivated and achieving

Abstract

The manifestation of ADHD in girls who are gifted can place strains on motivation and academic performance as they enter their middle school years. The purpose of this collective case study research was to examine the lived experiences of five girls who are gifted with ADHD in order to gain an understanding of the array of coping mechanisms used by this population as they navigate the academic pressures of their secondary school years. The girls in this study participated in a variety of educational settings including public, private, and charter schools. Using the experience sampling method, findings were drawn from the analysis of multiple data sources including experience sampling, document analysis, surveys, and interviews, in areas related to motivation as a result of their feelings toward school, relationships with teachers and family, and strategies used to center and refocus during times of stress.

Keywords:

• gifted/ADHD girls
• twice exceptional
• motivation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.