This pattern of working hard to hide ADHD struggles is especially true for gifted females. These children often do well in elementary school, where their intelligence more than compensates for the challenges posed by ADD (ADHD).
Yes! Students who have ADHD can get good grades and achieve their goals. Even if you've been diagnosed with ADHD, you can be a great student with great grades.
Some students with ADHD are very smart and pick up new ideas quickly, so even though they're not very focused or organized, they're still able to understand the material and do well in school, at least at first.
Girls with ADHD sometimes struggle to make and keep friends. Many also experience low self-esteem, depression or anxiety. They also have higher rates of self-harm, substance abuse, and suicide attempts than other girls.
“Tomboys” with ADHD
Hyperactive girls are often “tomboys.” They are physically active, drawn to more risk-taking activities such as tree climbing, exploring and playing with their brothers or other boys in the neighborhood.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often thought of as a "boys' disorder" because it's nearly twice as common in boys as girls. But it's important to note that ADHD can look different in girls.
Girls are also less likely to be diagnosed earlier because they often display more symptoms of anxiety. Medical providers may only treat a female patient's anxiety or depression without evaluating for ADHD. Hormones, which affect the symptoms of both ADHD and anxiety, can complicate things.
A girl with ADHD may have impulsivity and be hyper-talkative. She may be verbally impulsive, interrupt others, talk excessively, or change topics repeatedly during conversations. She might even blurt out words without thinking about their impact on others. Girls with ADHD can also be overly sensitive.
They may find it challenging to make and keep friends because of their brain's executive functioning impairment. The brain's executive control manages their ability to wait their turn, avoid getting distracted, direct their actions, control their emotions, and use their working memory to respond in social settings.
Can someone with ADHD do well in school? Yes! ADHDers are more than capable of academic success. They may need to work harder than others in order to achieve a good outcome, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.
Sometimes it may feel that way, but raising a child with ADHD to be a well-behaved child is not impossible. You just need to develop strategies for developing positive behaviors, while curbing negative ones.
The students with ADHD also performed better in certain subject areas than those without ADHD. These included the arts, creative writing, science discovery, and architecture. (Their achievement was self-reported.)
Girls with ADHD may want to move and talk, but don't want to be seen to be misbehaving, so they keep it in. They may fidget in smaller, less recognisable ways, such as doodling or playing with jewellery, or may be overly chatty when allowed to talk.
Typically, girls are more likely to have the inattentive form and less likely to show disruptive symptoms. These symptoms often make an ADHD diagnosis more obvious. The following symptoms are particularly likely to affect girls: Inattention: People with ADHD may find it hard to concentrate.
Can ADHD cause shyness? Shyness is not an official ADHD symptom, but experiences and struggles due to the neurodivergent condition - or another existing mental health disorder - can cause a person to become shy, aloof, and introverted.
The signs of ADHD in girls are more likely to look like inattention than hyperactivity. Girls with ADHD often don't fit the stereotype of excessive energy. Instead, they have a hard time paying attention, staying organized, and managing their time. People might mistake girls with ADHD for just being spacey or lazy.
However, the noticeable beginning of ADHD symptoms typically occurs early in childhood. Before the age of 5, ADHD symptoms may be difficult to diagnose, because most young children are highly energetic, easily distractible, and impulsive. Therefore, the average age of diagnosis is 8 years for ADHD and 10 years for ADD.
Most women with ADHD get an accurate diagnosis in their late 30s or early 40s. Experts say there could be several reasons behind the late diagnosis. It could be that parents, teachers, or pediatricians miss ADHD symptoms and behaviors in young girls because they aren't obvious.
A popular misconception is that all children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are naturally smarter and have a higher IQ than children without ADHD. However, there is no correlation between this condition and intelligence.
Very structured schools are great at helping keep kids with ADHD organized and focused throughout the school day, but when that structure isn't available at home, disruptive behavior can be a consequence.
Kids with ADHD often love adventure, and new experiences are more likely to hold their interest. Plan a treasure hunt around the house or go on a nature hike and see who can find the most interesting things. Be sure to bring along a camera so that you can document your child's findings.