Are People with ADHD Slow Thinkers? Unpacking the Misconception

ADHD and the Speed of Thought: The Common Misunderstanding

Well, this is a question that gets tossed around a lot, and it’s based on a pretty big misunderstanding. People with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are often labeled as "slow thinkers" because they may take longer to process certain tasks or conversations, but that doesn’t mean their thinking is inherently slow. Actually, people with ADHD often experience rapid thought patterns, just in a very different way from others.

The Reality of ADHD Thinking Speed

Honestly, when I first started learning about ADHD, I was a bit confused. People I knew with ADHD seemed to be "racing" through thoughts, jumping from one idea to the next with incredible speed. It’s not uncommon for someone with ADHD to have many thoughts at once, making it difficult to focus or process them in an orderly fashion. This doesn't mean their thoughts are "slow"—it’s just that they have a different way of processing information.

If anything, ADHD can actually lead to quicker reactions, but that doesn’t mean the individual is necessarily processing information at the same speed as someone without ADHD. Their thoughts might be fast, but also more scattered.

How Does ADHD Affect Thinking and Processing?

Let’s break it down a bit. ADHD is typically characterized by symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It’s not about thinking slowly, but rather about how the brain organizes and prioritizes thoughts.

Impulsivity vs. Slow Thinking

One thing that’s crucial to understand is impulsivity. People with ADHD often make decisions quickly, without thinking them through thoroughly. Does this mean they are slow thinkers? Not at all. In fact, it’s often the opposite. They are quick to act but might not process every detail at the same pace. It’s a bit like running a marathon while jumping from thought to thought at full speed.

I remember talking to my friend Emma, who has ADHD, about how she’d often blur out answers or make quick judgments. But she also pointed out that when she was asked to sit and "think" about something for a while, she found it incredibly hard to focus. Her brain just didn’t work that way. It wasn’t that she wasn’t thinking; she was thinking faster than her ability to sit still and organize it.

The ADHD Brain: Rapid Thoughts but Challenging Focus

People with ADHD often have rapid thoughts, but their focus tends to shift constantly, making it seem like they’re "not thinking" in a traditional sense. This constant shifting can make it appear that they’re slow to process or complete tasks when, in reality, their brain is moving too fast to focus on just one thing.

Mental "Multitasking": A Double-Edged Sword

I’ve seen this firsthand with my cousin, Alex, who has ADHD. He can juggle multiple thoughts or projects at once, but here’s the catch: his brain doesn’t always prioritize them in a linear way. This means he might be working on one thing, but halfway through, he remembers something else and switches gears, not because he’s slow, but because his brain is quickly jumping to the next thought.

This rapid thinking process can be super productive, but it can also make it seem like they’re not processing information carefully. They’re just processing it differently.

What Makes ADHD Thinking “Different” Than Slow Thinking?

Well, let’s talk about how ADHD thinking differs from what we’d traditionally consider slow thinking. People with ADHD are often described as being "fast thinkers" or "disorganized thinkers." But this quickness comes with challenges that make it seem like they are slower in certain situations.

Task Completion: Quick Ideas, Slow Actions

Here’s a big one: People with ADHD can have incredibly fast ideas but struggle with completing tasks. For example, when working on a project, someone with ADHD might jump from one idea to another without finishing each one. This might make them seem like they’re not thinking in a structured or "linear" way, but in reality, they’re processing information at lightning speed, just not always in a focused direction.

I’ve seen this happen with friends and family—people with ADHD can come up with brilliant ideas in minutes, but it’s often the implementation of those ideas that can take a bit longer due to the lack of focus.

Final Thoughts: Understanding ADHD Thinking Speed

So, are people with ADHD slow thinkers? Absolutely not. In fact, they are often some of the quickest thinkers I’ve known, but their brains just work differently. The speed of their thinking might be fast and scattered, rather than slow and deliberate.

People with ADHD are not "slow"; they’re simply navigating a different path in how they think and process information. This doesn’t mean they are less capable—it just means they experience the world in a unique and often fast-paced way.

And hey, next time you’re talking to someone with ADHD, maybe take a second to think: it might not be that they’re slow—it’s that their brain is already three steps ahead, just in its own way.

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.