When you ask women and men about their lived experiences with ADHD, you are likely to find some striking differences.
See also: Men with ADHD
Clinics report that women are being diagnosed with ADHD more often than girls. In fact, in clinics it’s one to one, men to women—and women self-refer. But the ratio of boys to girls being diagnosed in clinics is still about four to one. So that means that we’re still missing a lot of girls, and that’s obviously a problem.
ADHD symptoms are sometimes uncovered when women reach their mid-40s and older. Dr. Brown talks about the role changing hormones play in executive function.
Many parents, and aunts and uncles, will begin to look at their own life’s history when their child has been diagnosed with ADHD. They recognize the symptoms of ADHD have been present in their own lives and may be the cause of some of their experiences and struggles. It’s common for parents and family members to seek their own evaluation when a child is first diagnosed with ADHD. J. Faye Dixon, PhD gives some pointers.
Research has found that the symptoms of ADHD in males and females are more alike than different. But when you ask men and women about their lived experiences with ADHD, you are likely to find some striking differences.