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ADHD strengths and challenges

All neurodivergent individuals are different so ADHD can often look different in different people. You cannot always ‘see’ ADHD, so it is good to be curious about everyone’s differences. It is also really important to be aware of certain parts of ADHD which are often misunderstood or missed.

Behaviours can either be internalised or externalised. Internalised or ‘hidden’ behaviours are often the ones that get missed.

Pictures of icebergs can help us to think about actions and behaviours we see in others. The tip of the iceberg that we can see above the water, the smallest part, represents the most obvious and external behaviours we see. The biggest part of the iceberg is hidden under water, reflecting potential reasons for any behaviour. This may also reflect the internalised and hidden behaviours that we can’t see.

Below, we have created two different icebergs to help explain the internalised and externalised characteristics that may be experienced in ADHD.


Strengths of ADHD iceberg

The first iceberg focuses on the common strengths seen in ADHD. These are attributes that can give the individual significant strengths and unique qualities. These are unfortunately not often associated with, or fully acknowledged in, those with ADHD. This can also be downloaded here.


Challenges of ADHD iceberg

This second iceberg focuses on common challenges seen in ADHD. This model emphasises the internalised, ‘under the surface’ parts of ADHD. These hidden challenges can underlie a lot of the more obvious external behaviours. These underlying, more subtle characteristics are often missed or misunderstood, compared to the more commonly noticed externalised parts of ADHD, above the water. This can also be downloaded here

These are only examples of commonly seen characteristics seen in those with ADHD. Each individual with ADHD may or may not identify with these challenges/strengths. The purpose of these illustrations is to increase the understanding of the less obvious behaviours and the underlying reasons for behaviours. We also want to increase the acknowledgement of the positive attributes ADHD can give and to celebrate these.