- Published on
Beyond the Stereotype: Why ADHD in Girls Remains Misunderstood
The world of scientific research still has a long way to go before understanding of the female presentation of ADHD matches that of males. When I first started teaching in 1997, ADHD was splashed across the newspapers, often framed as a myth. The dominant narrative suggested that ADHD didn’t exist at all, it was simply an excuse for poor parenting, a bad diet, or bratty behaviour. The idea that girls might struggle with it too wasn’t even considered. Instead, it quickly became associated with ‘naughty’ boys, while girls remained out of the equation.
Little did I know 30 years later that I would be sitting here with three diagnoses in the family: my son, my daughter and me! Would life have been very different if I’d been aware of what to look out for, if I’d recognised traits in myself and stopped blaming myself for all of the underachievement, mistakes with time, money and relationships?
When I began researching ADHD symptoms in females as part of my master’s degree in psychology, I was shocked to discover that the issue wasn’t a lack of belief that girls could have ADHD. In fact, nearly every study I reviewed included strong recommendations highlighting the need for more research into how ADHD presents in girls. The problem wasn’t the evidence; it was the lack of funding and interest from within the medical and psychiatric communities to take this further.
Now, twenty-five years later, many of those girls who struggled silently in school are lining up, desperate to confirm what they’ve long suspected, that they have ADHD, not just depression, anxiety, IBS, or other misdiagnosed conditions. This time, however, the headlines tell a different, equally harmful story: ‘Everyone has ADHD these days.’ At the same time, the medical system shifts the goalposts, making it harder for people with private diagnoses to access medication through their GP. I don’t need to explain how infuriating that is. It’s simply unfair.
I’ve written about this issue many times, particularly the focus on waiting times and the rising numbers of people searching for answers. Until the government begins to collect and analyse data that includes gender breakdowns, society will continue to dismiss this reality and blame social media for the surge in diagnoses. Again, it’s unfair.
While research into female ADHD continues to lag behind, there are many areas that urgently need attention. Hormones, particularly oestrogen, can significantly influence ADHD symptoms during puberty and perimenopause. How do I know? Because I’m one of those women currently playing what feels like Russian roulette with HRT and ADHD symptoms. I’ve also coached many girls who sailed through their GCSEs, in part due to the temporary boost in dopamine receptor sensitivity that can improve executive functioning and motivation. But when that levels off, the impact can be significant.
I continue every day to advocate for girls in schools who have undiagnosed or diagnosed ADHD. The main reason being that awareness, training and research are still playing catch up, and we are in real danger of letting a whole new generation fall through the cracks and miss out on the support they deserve.
While menopausal women fight to be heard, many teenage girls are being overlooked completely, misunderstood, mislabelled, and misdiagnosed. Their struggles are often internal, masked, and quietly damaging. We must not wait another twenty five years to act.
That’s why I focused my study on the experiences of undiagnosed girls in secondary schools. If you're a parent, teacher, SENDCo, or professional working in this space, head over to my website shop and download a copy. I’d love to hear from you if you can relate or if you want to share your insights into how we identify and support these girls.
👉 Find out more here: https://www.the-adhd-teacher.co.uk/library.html
The world of scientific research still has a long way to go before understanding of the female presentation of ADHD matches that of males. When I first started teaching in 1997, ADHD was splashed across the newspapers, often framed as a myth. The dominant narrative suggested that ADHD didn’t exist at all, it was simply an excuse for poor parenting, a bad diet, or bratty behaviour. The idea that girls might struggle with it too wasn’t even considered. Instead, it quickly became associated with ‘naughty’ boys, while girls remained out of the equation.
Little did I know 30 years later that I would be sitting here with three diagnoses in the family: my son, my daughter and me! Would life have been very different if I’d been aware of what to look out for, if I’d recognised traits in myself and stopped blaming myself for all of the underachievement, mistakes with time, money and relationships?
When I began researching ADHD symptoms in females as part of my master’s degree in psychology, I was shocked to discover that the issue wasn’t a lack of belief that girls could have ADHD. In fact, nearly every study I reviewed included strong recommendations highlighting the need for more research into how ADHD presents in girls. The problem wasn’t the evidence; it was the lack of funding and interest from within the medical and psychiatric communities to take this further.
Now, twenty-five years later, many of those girls who struggled silently in school are lining up, desperate to confirm what they’ve long suspected, that they have ADHD, not just depression, anxiety, IBS, or other misdiagnosed conditions. This time, however, the headlines tell a different, equally harmful story: ‘Everyone has ADHD these days.’ At the same time, the medical system shifts the goalposts, making it harder for people with private diagnoses to access medication through their GP. I don’t need to explain how infuriating that is. It’s simply unfair.
I’ve written about this issue many times, particularly the focus on waiting times and the rising numbers of people searching for answers. Until the government begins to collect and analyse data that includes gender breakdowns, society will continue to dismiss this reality and blame social media for the surge in diagnoses. Again, it’s unfair.
While research into female ADHD continues to lag behind, there are many areas that urgently need attention. Hormones, particularly oestrogen, can significantly influence ADHD symptoms during puberty and perimenopause. How do I know? Because I’m one of those women currently playing what feels like Russian roulette with HRT and ADHD symptoms. I’ve also coached many girls who sailed through their GCSEs, in part due to the temporary boost in dopamine receptor sensitivity that can improve executive functioning and motivation. But when that levels off, the impact can be significant.
I continue every day to advocate for girls in schools who have undiagnosed or diagnosed ADHD. The main reason being that awareness, training and research are still playing catch up, and we are in real danger of letting a whole new generation fall through the cracks and miss out on the support they deserve.
While menopausal women fight to be heard, many teenage girls are being overlooked completely, misunderstood, mislabelled, and misdiagnosed. Their struggles are often internal, masked, and quietly damaging. We must not wait another twenty five years to act.
That’s why I focused my study on the experiences of undiagnosed girls in secondary schools. If you're a parent, teacher, SENDCo, or professional working in this space, head over to my website shop and download a copy. I’d love to hear from you if you can relate or if you want to share your insights into how we identify and support these girls.
👉 Find out more here: https://www.the-adhd-teacher.co.uk/library.html
0 Comments