Unequal Attention: Girls have a harder time being diagnosed with ADHD because they often don’t show the hyperactive signs that boys do

She‘s a bright kid and does great working on assignments, she just needs to practice her time management skills. 

As senior Daisy Amaya looks back at her old report cards, she now knows that what her teachers saw as a lack of “time-management skills” was actually a clear sign of her inattentive attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Amaya was diagnosed with ADHD last December. The diagnosis process was difficult due to the number of steps it included and because she didn’t have the typical hyperactive symptoms that are often seen, according to Amaya.

“It’s kind of weird because you really only see the hyperactive part online,” Amaya said. “So a lot of people expect you to be ultra-hyper, really destructive, or talking too much out loud, like a stereotypical person with ADHD. But then there’s an inattentive type, and if you don’t have the hyperactive type people don’t really acknowledge it.”

Individuals with inattentive ADHD tend to get easily distracted and have difficulty staying organized while those with hyperactive ADHD are often impulsive and constantly “on the go”.

Boys tend to show hyperactive ADHD while girls often have inattentive, causing girls to be overlooked when diagnosing ADHD, with boys being twice as likely to receive a diagnosis, according to the CDC. This lack of diagnosis can lessen girls’ ability to get the necessary resources to help their academic performance.

Then-7th-grader Margot Fair needed an ADHD diagnosis for additional accommodations at Indian Hills Middle School, such as more testing time and access to breaks that help her regain focus. 

Fair had suspected that she had ADHD due to her inability to focus during class, from doodling on assignments to wondering about what she was going to have for dinner during a test. However, her lack of a diagnosis made it difficult to get a 504 plan to help her manage her struggles with focusing.

“I was pretty quiet, not one of those kids jumping up and down, more calm and collected, but in my head I definitely wasn’t,” Fair said. “I think [the administration] struggled to see that, even though I told them. They just didn’t understand.”

Fair was able to receive a 504 plan her freshman year after she got her ADHD diagnosis. Before the accommodations, she was close to failing classes, but now she has a GPA of 3.7.

With hyperactive ADHD being more noticeable and appearing more in boys, the stereotype that a child with ADHD is a male who “acts up” or speaks loudly in class has been created. This contributes to women’s ADHD being missed or minimized, according to Very Well Health.

Thirty-five-year psychologist Michael Pollock specializes in ADHD and said that girls often don’t show the typical hyperactive symptoms because of the social standards for girls.   

“Males are often allowed to act out more, so they could show that hyperactivity, some of that bad behavior,” Pollock said. “Females are often taught not to be heard, not bother people socially, not hurt.”

Amaya dealt with these impacts personally since her ex-stepbrother also had ADHD and was able to get diagnosed at seven years old due to his hyperactive tendencies. It took Amaya two times to even get her diagnosis in the first place. 

“[My ex-stepbrother] talked out loud, he was a bit destructive and had that typical hyperactivity,” Amaya said. “But then there’s me and I tried picking up the rules to be more helpful. I feel like that’s also a problem with girls, just trying to be more helpful than needed.”

These types of discrepancies have led to an estimated 50-75% of girls with ADHD going undiagnosed, according to Clinical Partners. 

Currently at East, social workers like Elizabeth Findley are working to help students — even those without a diagnosis – manage their mental health and perform to the best of their ability at school.

“It’s not a clinical setting and it’s not a requirement to have a diagnosis to come in and talk,” Findley said. “That’s really important because there’s a lot of students who are mentally overwhelmed or stressed, so we work to help those kids manage those emotions.”

According to Pollock, if someone is having trouble learning it is important to ask why and to reach out to adults for assistance. He encourages girls to educate themselves on ADHD symptoms and that those who suspect they have ADHD should then look for help despite what others may say.

“I think that people are still afraid that others will think they are just faking it and just looking for an excuse for why they’re having difficulties,” Pollock said. “I always coach my clients and say, ‘Look, if you’re talking to a doctor or someone who is doubting you, don’t hesitate. Go find a different doctor or professional.’”