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. That's because of the different ways girls' and boys' brains develop and where their focuses lie.
Some people try masking attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to avoid the social stigma that its symptoms can cause. They might not want people to know about their condition. Other people mask ADHD that is undiagnosed. They may not be aware of its presence and might mask their symptoms to cope.
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.
“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.
They keep their things fairly organized and try to avoid making a mess. But many kids and adults with ADHD are the opposite — they're messy most of the time. And it can cause problems at home, school, and work.
Research is showing that the symptoms of ADHD often intensify for girls during puberty when estrogen increases in their bodies. 3 As you already know, puberty is a time of great change in a girl's life as she begins the transition from childhood into adulthood.
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.
ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
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.
They typically report feeling overwhelmed, inadequate, misunderstood, and distressed at a time in their lives when they often have the greatest demands on their time and energy.
In one way or another, hormonal changes directly impact most adolescents' ADHD symptoms. Puberty's physical influence on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) is undoubtedly more intense for girls, but it shouldn't be minimized for boys.
Female children with ADHD often try to join a group, talk a lot but can hardly understand how her peers feel about what they are doing. They have difficulty connecting socially with others and when frustration gets in, they become impulsive and resort to verbal aggressiveness.
Put simply; masking is intentionally shifting your behavior to hide your differences. For example, a woman with ADHD might smile and nod during a conversation even though she tuned out long ago, or she may secretly work late into the night to overcompensate for not staying on task for a deadline.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is very common — according to the most recent statistics, one in 10 children between the ages of 4 and 17 has been diagnosed with this problem.
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).
Females with ADHD may develop better coping strategies than males to mask their symptoms. Lastly, anxiety and depression, common comorbidities in female patients with ADHD, can lead to missed or misdiagnosis.
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.
✦ Firstly, anxiety symptoms may mask ADHD symptoms as anxiety can lower impulsivity. However, anxiety may also inhibit impulsivity but make inattention worse, which can complicate diagnosis (Pliszka et al., 1999).
Girls with ADHD can have a hard time making friends. They might have a lot of energy and not be good at taking turns. They may be too loud or aggressive. And girls with the “inattentive” type of ADHD may miss social cues, like how to react to other people or join a group.
Genetics. ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
Yes, ADHD is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). There are several types of disabilities, including but not limited to: learning disability. cognitive disability.