TITLE: CAMOUFLAGING ADHD: MOTIVATIONAL, NEUROCOGNITIVE, AND CONSTRUCT VALIDITY CONSTRAINTS

The construct of “camouflaging” has rapidly migrated from autism research into discourse surrounding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), where it is increasingly invoked to explain concealed symptomatology and delayed diagnosis. This paper critically examines the theoretical, neurocognitive, and construct validity foundations of this transposition. Drawing upon Bayesian frameworks of impression management originally proposed for autism, it evaluates the motivational assumptions, computational demands, and measurement practices underlying claims of “ADHD camouflaging.” Three core incompatibilities are identified. First, motivational incompatibilities arise because the presumed stigma-driven model of concealment fails to account for pre-diagnostic masking and the diffuse, often implicit nature of ADHD stigma. Second, neurocognitive incompatibilities emerge because the executive function deficits characteristic of ADHD—particularly in working memory, inhibitory control, planning, and self-monitoring—contradict the iterative computational processes posited by Bayesian models of social inference. Third, construct validity deficits persist because extant measurement instruments are adapted from autism research, lack ADHD-specific content, and fail to demonstrate discriminant or predictive validity. The paper further analyses how the construct’s institutional uptake exemplifies Derksen’s concept of “human engineering,” wherein moral alignment and testimonial justice secure acceptance ahead of empirical substantiation. It concludes by advocating rigorous ADHD-specific instrument development, longitudinal validation, and ethical clinical practice that recognises compensatory effort without reifying an under-specified construct.