DMN-Abduction Hypothesis: Reconsidering Cognitive Architecture in ADHD/2E and the Neuroscientific Basis of Late Blooming

This paper proposes the DMN-Abduction Hypothesis, a new theoretical framework that reconceptualizes the cognitive architecture of ADHD and twice-exceptional (2E) individuals. Traditional views characterize ADHD as a deficit in prefrontal cortex function resulting in poor inhibitory control. We propose an alternative model: the prefrontal cortex in ADHD is not deficient but rather engaged in coordination with the Default Mode Network (DMN) instead of suppressing it. This extended period of DMN operation during childhood, enabled by delayed prefrontal maturation, allows for prolonged parallel processing and pattern accumulation. The resulting cognitive style favors abductive reasoning (hypothesis generation through pattern matching) over deductive reasoning. This framework provides a neuroscientific explanation for the phenomenon of late blooming and has significant implications for educational assessment in the AI era, where deductive abilities are increasingly automated while abductive abilities remain uniquely human.