ADHD in Boys vs. ADHD in Girls

I just read a WedMD article about the differences between girls and boys when it comes to ADHD.

Boys tend toward hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and risky behavior while girls lean more toward inattention and "spacing out." Boys are three times more likely to be diagnosed than girls, maybe because their symptoms are more obvious to teachers or caretakers. When most people think of ADHD, they imagine the same sort of symptoms that are common amongst little boys (running around, being impulsive, "acting out," etc.) However, other ADHD symptoms exist (especially for girls). These include: "Forgetfulness, being easily distracted, losing or misplacing things, disorganization, academic underachievement, poor follow-through with assignments or tasks, poor concentration, and poor attention to detail."

Because girls tend more toward inattentiveness than hyperactivity or impulsiveness - this may mean they are more likely to be underdiagnosed.

Though the American Psychological Association defines ADHD as one condition, it can actually be broken into 3.

1) Hyperactive ADHD (Usually the type boys have.) These children are fidgety, can't sit still, are impatient, blurt out answers in class, cut in front of others line, interrupt others, and seek instant gratification. They also often act without thinking - which can cause problems when interacting with others or being disciplined. These children also seem more aggressive than their peers at an early age. And may have had delayed motor skills in babyhood.

2) Inattention ADHD. These children struggle with following directions, often cannot pay attention to details, make careless errors, and are disorganized. They might be messy (rooms, backpacks, lockers) and often have trouble turning in homework (because of all the steps involved in completing it and remembering to bring it to school, etc). It may seem like you tell them something and they never even heard it. What's interesting is that it is difficult to hold these children's attention with regular games or books, however - they are very interested in video games. The constant interaction and distraction of video games works well because of the constant cause-and-effect of pressing buttons and seeing immediate results (that will reengage a child whose mind wanders easily.)

3) A combination of type 1 and 2. These children are both hyperactive and inattentive.

Diagnoses, no matter when they are made (early on or later in childhood) can really help parents understand the reasons for their child's behavior and what can be done to help. And there is help for ADHD - including ADHD medications, therapy, and changes at school and at home. Of course children with ADHD are still able to learn, grow, and succeed - they just may need a more specialized environment.

What do you think about the differences between types 1 and 2? Why do you think boys are more diagnosed than girls? Are you a woman that has ADHD? Do you think that more boys are type 1 or just that people who are type 2 are less often diagnosed?

I wonder if the reason boys are more often diagnosed is because they are more likely to be hyperactive, which is more likely to be obtrusive in school environments. Teachers can deal with inattention more because it is not physically distracting them or taking their own attention away from teaching. I wonder if more girls were diagnosed if they would have better chances at excelling. Once we work to understand how different children learn and think, we can get them on the right track. A good start is by watching for signs of ADHD and learning to work with them.

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