July 10, 2026, 7:04 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Even “It-Girls” have ADHD. Paris Hilton was diagnosed in her 20s—and she no longer hides it. She has even designed her home to be neurodiverse, as she shows in her video series “Inclusive by Design.” What isn’t immediately obvious: What does neurodiverse design actually mean, and how has Hilton’s ADHD shaped her?
“Something’s Wrong with Me”—ADHD in Childhood
ADHD often leaves its mark on children. According to a study in the “Journal of Pediatric Psychology,” children with ADHD tend to have lower grades, weaker results in reading and math tests, and are more likely to be held back.1 And not just in the classroom, ADHD also impacts mental health. Another study from 2025 shows that affected children and adolescents have more than double the risk of depression and a significantly increased risk of anxiety disorders.2
The challenges ADHD poses for children were also experienced firsthand by Paris Hilton, even though her diagnosis came years later. As she tells “People,” she struggled to remember things in school, constantly lost her homework, and got in trouble with teachers. “When I was growing up, no one talked about ADHD,” Hilton says. This made her feel like something was wrong with her, and she learned early on to mask her emotions instead of showing them.
“Looking Back, My ADHD Diagnosis Clarified Many Things for Me”
“This Is Not a Normal Developmental Delay”
Hilton Looks Back Differently on This Time Today
Only through interactions with others affected did she learn to understand her past feelings. What she once saw as a flaw, she now views as a strength: “Now I see it as a kind of superpower, and without it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”
Hilton wants to share this message with the world—literally. So, the entrepreneur opened her front door: In the three-part video series “Inclusive by Design,” she shows how she has tailored her home and office to her neurodivergence—and that of her team.
What is Neurodivergence?
Neurodivergence describes when a person’s brain functions differently than the majority. This includes ADHD, autism, or dyslexia. It’s not about a disease but a different way of thinking, learning, or processing stimuli.
Why Everything Must Be Visible for Hilton
A central issue for Hilton is the concept of object permanence. She describes her ADHD experience like this: “With ADHD, there’s something called object permanence. If you don’t see something, it basically doesn’t exist in your mind.” Things quickly fall out of memory when they disappear behind closed doors. That’s why she equipped her craft room with transparent drawers. Her closet follows this principle too, as cabinets and drawers without glass doors are consistently labeled so she can see at a glance what’s inside.
“I have to label everything so I can see everything and my brain remembers where things are,” Hilton explains.
Hilton has also made changes in her office. A special chair that can be adjusted to different positions is meant to help her focus. Because sometimes it’s just hard to sit still with ADHD, Hilton explains: “You just feel more relaxed and can concentrate better.”
Object Permanence and ADHD
If you, dear reader, have an ADHD diagnosis yourself, you shouldn’t be too quick to apply object permanence to yourself. What is quickly connected here—even by Hilton herself—is not as scientifically clear as the “It-Girl of 2005” portrays.
Object permanence is originally a developmental psychology concept from early childhood and not an officially recognized ADHD symptom. While many people with ADHD do experience similar phenomena—such as things quickly becoming “out of sight, out of mind”—this is a widely discussed topic in the community. However, a scientifically robust connection between ADHD and impaired object permanence has not yet been proven.3