Here at Minnesota Neuropsychology, we are all about finding and nurturing the strengths that come along with the challenges of living with ADHD. A recent study (February 2024) from the University of Pennsylvania suggests that ADHD traits, such as distractibility and impulsivity, may have been evolutionarily advantageous for ancestral foraging. These traits may remain beneficial for people living with ADHD today.

In an online berry-picking simulation, researchers found that players who often got distracted or jumped into things quickly - traits common in people with ADHD - had the upper hand at the task of collecting berries. 

Evolutionarily, we can imagine that our ancestors with ADHD traits may have had better luck with foraging than their neurotypical counterparts. So, people today with ADHD may have a hidden superpower: an inner explorer who’s great at spotting opportunities and making quick moves.