25. Are People with ADHD too Literal? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 14, 2025 · 1H 20M

25. Are People with ADHD too Literal?

from Crazy Together · host Marcus & Esme O’Kayvius

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.    Support our show:  Buy us a coffee at ko-fi.com/crazytogetherpod.    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    Our theme music: Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun...   Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 14, 2025

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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25. Are People with ADHD too Literal?

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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...

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