The way ADHD often expresses itself in girls — excessive talking, poor self-esteem, worrying, perfectionism, risk-taking, and nosiness — is seldom read as signs of ADHD.
, surveyed 3,234 people, including members of the general public , parents of children with the condition, teachers, and children with ADHD, ages 12 to 17. Among those polled, 85 percent of the teachers and more than half of the parents and the general public believe that girls with ADHD are more likely to go undiagnosed. They said that girls are more likely to “suffer silently” or show fewer symptoms.
Another reason that girls go undetected for so long has to do with how differently each gender approaches school. Dr. Quinn offers this example: “A male and female student with ADHD are assigned a long-term project. They each put off the work for weeks. Then, the night before the project is due, each remembers the deadline. Rather than attempt to get the work done, the boy decides to watch back-to-back episodes of. Meanwhile, the girl freaks out and tries to make a perfect project overnight.
Some girls also compensate by developing strategies that mask their ADHD. As mentioned earlier, it might be perfectionism. For instance, a girl might spend hours taking notes on each chapter she’s being tested on in order to assure a good grade. Or she might become obsessive-compulsive, checking and rechecking her backpack to make sure she has everything.
Unfortunately, these signs often aren’t enough to suggest ADHD. In the case of 14-year-old Danielle Cardali of Suffolk County, New York, it took two evaluations before her teacher and parents were able to pinpoint why her grades remained low. Being classified with ADHD in fourth grade, she was entitled to 45 minutes a day of one-on-one teacher time in a resource room. But real improvement didn’t come until seventh grade, when she was prescribed Strattera and Concerta.
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