This video seeks to answer the question, if the symptoms of ADHD are signs of a medical disorder, why are they still in the gene pool after hundreds of thousands of years? Why weren’t they selected out (e.g. if the ADHD genes made it difficult for prehistoric humans to adapt to their environment, they would have failed to adapt, died before mating, and not passed on these genes to future generations). The answer is that these traits or so-called ”warning signs” of ADHD were very probably adaptive in helping prehistoric humans survive in the wild and pass those genes on. In this video I focus on five ADHD symptoms or traits, including: hyperactivity, distractibility, impulsivity, hyper-focus, and novelty-seeking. In each case, I point out how these behaviors very probably favored survival out in nature (e.g. hyperactive behavior was necessary to successfully hunt for food). I also make the point at the end of the video that these traits, while non-adaptive for certain limited environments in modern times (e.g. classrooms and offices), are still advantageous for a wide range of occupations and careers today.
__________________________________________
For more information about neurodiversity, see my books:
- The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Neurodivergent Brain (Completely Revised and Updated Second Edition), and
- Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life.
This page was brought to you by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. and www.institute4learning.com.
Follow me on X: @Dr_Armstrong
Subscribe to my blog feed and receive a 200-item Neurodiversity Strengths Checklist
