As more women open up about being diagnosed with ADHD as adults, like Jessie J did just this week, we look at the common signs in girls and how they're routinely ignored or misinterpreted.
There are many signs of ADHD that appear early on in childhood, with most children in the UK being formally diagnosed around the age of six-years-old. Those signs have become easier to spot over the years as more research has been done into ADHD and its impact on kids - and getting a diagnosis is set to become even easier thanks to the new NHS online ADHD test.
But the signs still commonly go unnoticed in girls.
A possible reason for this, according to Dr Patricia Britto who wrote about the early signs for GoodToKnow, is, "Boys with ADHD usually display hyperactive behaviours such as running and jumping and also impulsivity. Girls with ADHD, on the other hand, typically show internalised symptoms, including inattentiveness and low self-esteem." She aded, "In some cases, girls often develop adaptive behaviours and strategies that enable them to mask their symptoms to fit into societal expectations."
This often means many women go undiagnosed for decades. It's a fact many celebrities are bringing attention to, with female stars of the stage and screen using their platforms to encourage others to recognise the signs so girls can get the help they need earlier on.
In 2023, singer Lily Allen revealed that she had been diagnosed at the age of 37, telling The Times that she believes she only got confirmation of what she always suspected because she moved to the US where they take ADHD 'more seriously' than her home country of the UK.
"I've actually just been diagnosed with adult ADHD. It sort of runs in my family. And it [the diagnosis] is only because I’m here in America where they take these things slightly more seriously than they do in England," she shared. “I went to see someone and they said, ‘Have you ever thought about this?’ And I said, ‘Well, yes I have.’”
Jessie J is the most recent celeb to speak out, revealing just last week that she was diagnosed at 36. "It's empowered me and honestly sometimes has overwhelmed me all at the same time," the singer shared of her diagnosis on Instagram. "It has made me love myself even more. I'm hugging 11-year-old me."
According to Aristotle Paulidis, the co-founder of RoutineBase, a platform focused on helping individuals, especially those with ADHD, establish and maintain beneficial daily routines, waiting until your thirties to finally get a diagnosis and, subsequently, medication or support that can significantly improve your way of life, can leave girls struggling with little understanding of why.
"In school, girls with ADHD might get okay grades by working really hard. But they struggle to manage time and finish work. Teachers might think they're just lazy. This can stop girls from getting help early on. It can hurt their school work and how they feel," he told GoodToKnow.
At the same time, doing well in school can be a sign of ADHD in girls, proving just how complicated it can be to spot the signs. This is because they're 'masking,' Paulidis says, working hard to cover up the impact of their undiagnosed ADHD. "It's important to spot these hidden signs of ADHD in girls," he urges. "It helps them get diagnosed and treated sooner. And, with the right support and routines, they can then do better in school, with friends, and in life."
So looking out for the easily ignored signs in girls is incredibly important. But what are they?
The most commonly ignored signs of ADHD in girls
- Daydreaming
- Seeming quiet and distracted
- Talking too much
- Getting upset easily
- Feeling anxious, sad or 'moody'
- Acting shy
- Having trouble maintaining friendships
- Being a perfectionist
- Struggling to manage time and can't finish school work
- Seeming lazy
For more resources on parenting kids with ADHD, an educational psychologist reveals why understanding the three different types of ADHD can help you see your child better. Plus, these are the 6 upsides to ADHD seen in kids who are 'accepted'. And, following the news that kids with ADHD receive more 'negative messages' than neurotypical kids, here are 10 child psychologist tips to help parents support them.
