THE AWAKENING OF THE MIRROR: THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING GIFTEDNESS IN ADULTHOOD, ITS PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACTS, AND INTERSECTIONS WITH ADHD AND ASD

Authors

  • Marta Batista

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63330/sasciencesv6n2-123

Keywords:

ADHD, Adult Giftedness, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Differential Diagnosis, Twice-Exceptionality

Abstract

The phenomenon of High Abilities or Giftedness (HA/G) in adult life remains underidentified, a scenario that worsens given the complex phenotypic overlap with neurodevelopmental disorders. This study aimed to analyze the process of identifying giftedness in maturity, investigating the psychosocial impacts of this late diagnosis and its clinical intersections with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methodologically, an Integrative Literature Review was conducted using the SciELO, CAPES Journal Portal, and Google Scholar databases. The results point to two critical phenomena: misdiagnosis, in which psychomotor overexcitabilities and task commitment are mistaken, respectively, for ADHD hyperactivity and ASD restricted interests; and Twice-Exceptionality (2e), characterized by the coexistence of HA/G and one of the disorders in the same individual, creating a mutual masking mechanism that delays clinical support. In the absence of identification, the adult resorts to social camouflaging, whose metabolic cost culminates in exhaustion and burnout. Conversely, late diagnostic confirmation acts as a powerful therapeutic intervention, triggering a dialectical process between the retrospective relief of neurobiological validation and the grief over potentialities that were suffocated or treated in a purely pathological manner throughout life. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

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Published

2026-08-11

How to Cite

Batista, M. . (2026). THE AWAKENING OF THE MIRROR: THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING GIFTEDNESS IN ADULTHOOD, ITS PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACTS, AND INTERSECTIONS WITH ADHD AND ASD. South American Sciences, 6(2), e26349. https://doi.org/10.63330/sasciencesv6n2-123