ADHD in girls

Hi, I'm Kevin! A couple of hours ago, one of my coworkers (for confidentiality purposes, let's call him Sam) and I had to watch a group of kids at the YMCA. One of the boys (let's call him Jack) constantly kept speaking out of turn, throwing things, and bouncing a bunch of balls on the floor after he was specifically told NOT to bounce them inside. Sam immediately guessed that Jack had ADHD, and he was right. However....he missed the fact that a girl in the same group (let's call her Nancy) continuously spaced out and was still working on her short reading quiz long after everyone else was done. No judgement here - this happens A LOT more often than we might think!

In fact... boys are three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD/ ADD while research shows that girls are just as likely to have it! Why does that happen?

Well....

1- STEREOTYPES

This is not always the case, but oftentimes, boys have the hyperactivity form of ADHD, which is what a lot of us tend to think of when we hear the term "ADHD." In addition, until recently, most research focused on what ADHD looks like in males. It's only logical that most people would be more familiar with what ADHD looks like in guys!

2- ATTENTION

A lot of times, boys with ADHD tend to cause more trouble at school, at home, or public places. As we learned earlier, boys are more likely to have the hyperactive form of ADHD, and those symptoms tend to create more of a disturbance. Think of Jack's example... butting into conversations, trouble sitting still, fidgeting, and so on. So teachers and parents are more likely to notice those symptoms and looks for a solution. Girls, on the other hand, are more likely to have the inattentive form of ADHD. A lot of times, they are the ones with perfect behavior and are often told to "try harder." Think of Nancy's example... being easily distracted, spacing out, forgetting to turn in assignments... Those things create less of a disturbance, and are easily missed.

3- CONFUSING SYMPTOMS!

In one sentence, oftentimes boys are tested for ADHD because their hyperactivity gets them in trouble. With girls, however, it's more complicated! A lot of times, girls show symptoms such as inattention, low-self esteem due to the fact that they are also struggling to stay on track at school or keep their room organized, or avoid constantly losing things, and being more withdrawn. So a lot of times, girls are tested for anxiety or depression before ADHD is even suspected. (However, it is very possible to have ADHD and other condtions as well)

THOSE ARE BASED OFF MY RESEARCH AND OBSERVATIONS, I AM NOT A DOCTOR AND NOT A GIRL!

So what's the difference between ADHD in boys and girls?

Boys tend to get in trouble a lot at school or work - A LOT!! Girls tend to have more issues at home or with social skills, which is why they are often tested for other conditions before ADHD.

Boys are usually more physically aggressive (hitting, kicking, punching). Girls are usually more verbally aggressive ("having an attitude," arguing)

Boys' symptoms tend to be external (disrupting others). Girls' symptoms tend to be more internal (affecting the girl's confidence and self-esteem).

Boys often interrupt when other people are talking. Girls tend to space out during conversations.

Boys are more likely to have anger issues/ behavior issues....which is what gets them in trouble. Girls are more likrly to turn pain and frustration inward.

Those are generalizations and there will be exceptions! There's no "one size fits all." And boys with the inattentive form of ADHD also often get overlooked.

What did you think?! How did I do? And if you have any corrections or other ideas, feel free to let me know!