Girls With ADHD Are Different From Boys With ADHD

Girls With ADHD/ADD

The majority of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) are boys.  Boys are generally identified more frequently than girls are because they are more active, always on the go, and demonstrate acting-out behavior more noticeable than girls.  Girls are often overlooked because they are quieter, are taught to conform, and are less likely to demonstrate acting out behavior.  Signals that your daughter may have ADHD or underlying problems include school phobia, low self-esteem, poor organizational skills, messiness, sleep problems, high intelligence and creativity with low academic performance, and messy appearance.

One Girl With ADHD

I recently worked with a family that was concerned about their daughter because she was very forgetful, her grades were slipping, and she was not feeling good about herself.  We worked together to do a comprehensive school neuropsychological evaluation and determined that there was inattentive type ADHD (ADD) as well as some processing difficulties that were making learning much harder.  This girl was very intelligent so she had been able to get by on her intelligence but the academic demands of middle school finally caught up with her and she became overwhelmed.  Before coming to me, her parents thought she just was not trying and was getting lazy but it turned out she really had legitimate needs.

You Suspect Your Daughter has ADD/ADHD

If your daughter is struggling and you are unsure if there are underlying problems, consider these important questions: (1) Are these behaviors things you have noticed for a while?  Are they interfering with life functioning at home or at school?,(2) Are the behaviors a continuous problem, not just a response to a temporary situation like final exams or a teacher conflict? (3) Do the behaviors occur in several settings or only in one specific place like the home or in school?  If you answered ‘yes’ to most of these questions, my evaluation may help you and your daughter.  I give parents strategies to use at home and in school that can help your daughter.

When you are ready to help your daughter call me or fill out my contact form.