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The ADHD Overdiagnosis Problem | Are We Labeling Personality as Disorder? | Blog Post 9

Let’s start with a question few people are asking: Are we labeling personality as pathology?

Too many children are being diagnosed with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) before we truly understand how their brains are wired. And while these diagnoses can absolutely be valid and helpful for some, they can also be misused as a shortcut for understanding.

When Personality Gets Pathologized

Some kids are not disordered. They’re just ENFPs. Or ENTPs. Or ESFPs.

These types are:

  • Energetic

  • Curious

  • Emotionally expressive

  • Distractible (when uninterested)

  • Argumentative (when misunderstood)

Sound familiar? If you’ve worked with kids, you’ve met them. They light up the room and drive adults up the wall in the same breath.

And when we don’t understand them, we call them:

  • Defiant

  • Disruptive

  • Attention-seeking

  • Lazy

  • Emotional

But what if we understood how their personalities work before we diagnosed them? Before we medicated them?

Personality is a Blueprint, Not an Excuse

Just like some kids are wired to follow rules and stay quiet (think ISTJ or ISFJ), others are wired to challenge, explore, and move (hello, ESFPs and ENTPs).

This doesn’t mean we let everything slide. It means we tailor our interventions, environments, and expectations to the child in front of us.

What Overdiagnosis Looks Like in Real Life

  • The ENTP who questions every rule gets labeled ODD

  • The ESFP who craves attention gets put on behavior plans instead of connection plans

  • The ENFP who can’t sit still during a worksheet is given medication instead of movement breaks

This is not to say that meds aren’t ever helpful. They can be a game changer when used with care and clarity. But they shouldn't be the first response to a child who doesn’t fit the system.

Understanding First, Diagnosing Second

Before jumping to labels and prescriptions, what if we:

  • Identified personality type

  • Adjusted the classroom structure

  • Tracked sleep, diet, screen time, and stress levels

  • Offered personality-aligned behavior strategies

And then evaluated if additional support was needed.

Personality-Informed Parenting & Teaching

Knowing a child’s type helps you communicate more effectively:

  • ENTPs: Use logic and cause-effect reasoning ("If you miss the bus, you’ll miss game time.")

  • ESFPs: Appeal to social consequences ("People are watching. You choose the kind of attention you get.")

  • ENFPs: Spark imagination and future-thinking ("You could lead this, but not if you’re off-task.")

Knowing your own personality also helps you set boundaries without projecting your style as the "right" way to behave.

The Takeaway

Before we call it ADHD, let’s ask: Is this a child in distress? Or is this a child whose personality and environment are mismatched?

Let’s stop guessing. Let’s stop over-labeling. Let’s start understanding.

More resources on the 16 personalities, child development, classroom management, and even structured literacy - can be found at: mindchild.net

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