25. Are People with ADHD too Literal?

No, people with ADHD are not too literal. We’re not “too” anything. We’re glorious unicorns. That said, numerous studies have demonstrated that people with ADHD often have difficulties understanding and interpreting non-literal language. Marcus is skeptical of this claim. After all, he’s fluent in sarcasm and is always down for a little idiomatic wordplay. Fortunately, Esme talks him through the research and helps him recognize where his own thinking tends to be a little black and white. 

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Sources for this episode include:

• Crespo, N., et al. “Attention Deficit and Understanding of Non-Literal Meanings: The Interpretation of Indirect Speech Acts and Idioms.” Revista de Neurología, vol. 44, no. 2, Jan. 2007, pp. 75-80. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17236145/. 


• Segal, Dorit, et al. "Semantic Conflicts Are Resolved Differently by Adults with and Without ADHD." Research in Developmental Disabilities, vol. 47, Dec. 2015, pp. 416-429. Elsevier, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2015.09.024. 


• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). "Replace an All-or-Nothing Mindset with Balanced Thinking." CHADD, 6 June 2024, https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/replace-an-all-or-nothing-mindset-with-balanced-thinking 


• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). "Replace an All-or-Nothing Mindset with Balanced Thinking." CHADD, 6 June 2024, https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/replace-an-all-or-nothing-mindset-with-balanced-thinking 

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