Gifted ADHD

Strategies to assist students to channel hyperactive energies

There seems to be a perception that children diagnosed with ADD or ADHD are perhaps not challenged enough. This extends to another perception - that these children are possibly gifted. I think it would be a good practice, as an educator, to give this 'perceptive theory' a 'fair chance'.

In my experience, and opinion, to date I have not been able to either prove or disprove this theory, theoretically. However, over my five year experience teaching gifted students, I have realized that many gifted students, albeit undiagnosed with ADD or ADHD, present behaviors that I sometimes find difficult to curtail and manage, successfully. Would I call these behaviors hyperactive or just highly energetic? Are these behaviors a symptom of an intelligent and active imagination/mind that is not challenged enough? Are these behaviors conceivably the extensions of a gifted mind? Or are these behaviors just a product of our societal disciplinary deficiencies?