How Do We Navigate the Conceptual Tension Between Paradigms of ADHD?

Within ADHD scholarship, clinical discussion and lay discourse, there exists a conceptual and ideological conflict between the two dominant theoretical paradigms aimed at understanding ADHD. The paradigm adhered to by an individual, whether it be a biomedical model or a social/neurodiversity paradigm, presents important practical implications with regard to all aspects of their work and its intended audience. For researchers, their chosen ADHD paradigm informs the chosen methodology, theoretical perspective, applicability of findings and readership. For clinicians, their paradigm has direct implications on patient care, advice and intervention use. This paper details the justifications and benefits of each paradigm, alongside the primary criticisms directed from its opposition. The paper concludes with a nascent conceptual heuristic for developing your own theoretical perspective of ADHD to aid in the strengths and implications of your position. This heuristic assists those writing and discussing ADHD to acknowledge and respond to the likely criticisms of their conceptual position.