Reddit reviews Misdiagnosis And Dual Diagnoses Of Gifted Children And Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, And Other Disorders

There is only a little difference between many of these 'symptoms' in gifted individuals and in those with ADHD - so if you're talking about a postsecondary class, it might be that most people have the 'symptoms' of giftedness, not ADHD. Webb, et al. have written a lot of books about giftedness and dual diagnosis that go into it further.

Also, Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities also discuss characteristics of those with ADHD, but not in terms of a 'deficit' model, more of a 'brain difference' model. I prefer this model to the assertion in education that this is a 'problem'. It's a learning difference to be managed through a combination of CBT and medication for most people, in my opinion.

In-school counseling is good, but have you thought about taking him to an actual therapist? My daughter's seeing one who specializes in gifted kids, and it's been doing her a world of good. She's becoming more mature and responsible, her attitude toward academics has improved dramatically, and she's picked up a lot of empathy and understanding about how to interact with less-gifted peers.

Just as importantly, the therapist meets with my husband and me every couple of weeks to touch base with us about our daughter and to teach us how we should be working with her.

Mine is young enough that any specific advice from the therapist I could pass on wouldn't be terribly useful for dealing with a 6th grader, but I can share some of the books our therapist has given us about dealing with gifted kids:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0910707898/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593634900/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0910707677/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So there is a book, Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, Ocd, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders. I didn't really dig it overmuch when I read/browsed through it, but it may be worth looking at. I think it helped me decide that the diagnosis wasn't just a mistake for me.

Edit: And let me add: when I'm not running into anxieties, I usually like the inside of my head from moment to moment too, though I don't like how those moments all play out. I hop from puzzle to puzzle, often switching to something new before the details of what I've been working on have been ironed out. This makes me bad at communicating or transmitting my insights. But it's often fun!

You might also want to check out the book

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, Ocd, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders
ISBN-13: 978-0910707671, ISBN-10: 0910707677
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0910707677/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nZsxybEXVQGN7

Many of the behavioral traits of high IQ / giftedness can look like ADHD, Aspergers, etc. but are normal in context. Diagnosis is supposed to involve impairment, not just personality traits.

Of course I can't possibly say any of this is applicable to you, if the content of the book seems to resonate with you, you'd need to consult a professional who is familiar with the topic.