But more women and girls are being diagnosed as our understanding of it deepens.
For instance, girls are more likely to haveinattentive ADHD, in which daydreaming and shyness are common.
Conversely, it is more typical for boys to havehyperactive-impulsive ADHDorcombined key in ADHD.
It can even affect mental health well into adulthood.
But what exactly does ADHD look like in girls vs. boys?
ADHD characteristics can manifest differently in each child.
But, in girls,ADHD signs and symptomstend to have a few underlying commonalities.
They can get distracted by external events or drift off into a world of their own.
To compensate, a girl with ADHD mayhyperfocuson something she likes or is good at.
Sometimes, this hyperfocus is a coping strategy to keep herself entertained when something is boring.
Other times, she may not feel she has any control over it.
Always in Motion
Some girls with ADHD display more of the classic signs of hyperactivity.
ADHD in girls might also show up in less obvious ways that still involve always being in motion.
Examples include doodling constantly or always moving around in her chair.
Lack of Impulse Control
A girl with ADHD may haveimpulsivityand 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.
Some are described as overemotional and easily excitable.
Simply knowing she has ADHD can relieve a young girl of a huge burden of guilt and shame.
It can also free her from the damaging labels of being spacey, unmotivated, stupid, or lazy.
A girl with ADHD is none of those things.
She simply has ADHD.
And strategies can be put in place to make her life a little easier and her future brighter.
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