Awareness needed for ADHD in girls

In an eighth-grade classroom, students listen to their teacher with interest, except for Thomas in the back row.

He bounces his legs as his eyes jump from poster to poster. His gaze flits back for a moment to the teacher before a scribbling noise grabs his attention.

Sally, one of the top students in the class and at the next desk over, is doodling in the margin of her notes before she glances out the window.

Thomas turns his attention back to the teacher and starts taking notes before class ends, but he stops as he thinks about his coming soccer game. Then the bell rings.

Does Thomas have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Maybe.

But what about Sally?

ADHD is one of the most common adolescent disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It is also four times more likely to develop in boys than girls.

But a recently released survey published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry showed that ADHD diagnoses in girls rose 55 percent between 2003 and 2011.

The medical field is starting to be more aware of how ADHD manifests in girls and its distinct symptoms.

Thomas can’t sit still. Sally can’t focus.

ADHD generally manifests later in girls, around the tween years as opposed to the average diagnosis at age 6 for boys.

And during those tween years, girls are likely to internalize their frustrations and try to mask the symptoms, which makes it harder for parents and school officials to notice ADHD trends. Undiagnosed ADHD could develop into depression and/or possible self-harming behavior, a 2012 American Psychological Association article says.

It doesn’t help that information about ADHD, a relatively new disorder, is constantly changing and mostly focused on boys. But there’s hope that this survey will help broaden awareness and understanding when it comes to ADHD in girls like Sally.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Awareness needed for ADHD in girls."