Do girls get ADHD? Ask anyone who is more likely to get ADHD, a boy or a girl, and about 90 percent of people will tell you the boy. But girls can have ADHD!
As a person with ADHD myself and parenting girls with ADHD, I know that ADHD is alive and kicking in the female populace. You may be wondering how to help my ADHD daughter, and I can tell you that the best way to do that is with support!
How to Help a Daughter with ADHD
If you want to know how to help my daughter with ADHD, first of all, you’re an amazing parent and doing super great, and second of all, you’re in the right place!
ADHD supergirls is written by an ADHD mom with ADHD and 3 daughters with ADHD. We get ADHD in girls.
The Research on Girls with ADHD
Some statistics have stated that boys are about three times more likely than girls to have ADHD, but recent studies have found that, actually, ADHD occurs at about the same rate in boys and girls.
According to recent studies, girls are far less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD for one of two reasons:
- Girls are often more ADD than ADHD, meaning the girls are less disruptive and “bouncy.”
- Girls with ADHD are more likely to hide the signs of ADHD in girls, likely due to the extra social pressure placed on girls to “behave.”
Raising a girl with ADHD looks a lot different than raising a neurotypical girl (or boy).
Girls Can Have ADHD
Read on to learn more about what ADHD looks like in girls and how you can help a girl with ADHD effectively.
One of the tricky things about a daughter with ADHD is that you might not know you have one.
Unless your girls are blatantly hyperactive, you may not even realize they have ADHD. It took us a long time to find out that our oldest daughter had ADHD because:
1. she has always been home with us so there were no teacher complaints,
2. she is our eldest, so we had no one to compare her to.
It was only after I taught other elementary children that I realized she was drastically different.
If you already have a son with ADHD, a husband with ADHD, or a brother with ADHD, there is a high chance your daughters also have the condition.
ADHD Signs in Girls
These ADHD signs are just personal observation from my own daughters and are not meant to be medical advice. Here is how ADHD looks in our girls:
- She is constantly talking
- She daydreams
- You’ve called her “spacey” or said she is often “in her own world”
- She jumps from one topic of conversation to another without warning
- She loses her place in her sentences
- She has messy handwriting
- She has trouble with reading comprehension
- She spends hours doing her favorite activity without a break
- She interrupts
- She constantly fidgets, picks at clothing or skin, twilrs hair, or doodles
- She has trouble keeping things organized and clean
- She has trouble paying attention to spoken instruction
- She gets upset easily
- She has sudden swings in mood (unrelated to hormones, or not entirely related)
- She has trouble completing tasks
- She jumps from one interest to another
- She makes careless mistakes
- She is often in a “silly” mood
- She may be extra anxious, self-critical, or have low self-esteem
- She may be shy
- She is forgetful
- She procrastinates to her detriment
Not all of ADHD behaviors in girls are disadvantages. On the flip side, many girls with ADHD are more creative, musical, empathetic, and are able to multi-task.
ADHD in Girls Can be Dangerous
The biggest disadvantage to letting a girl with ADHD go undiagnosed is that she is more likely to self-harm, enter into depression, or become anorexic.
The girl (and this definitely happened to me) doesn’t have an explanation for why she is different, so she starts to believe she is the problem.
That there is something “wrong” with her that prevents her from living a normal life.
In the end, she feels like a failure because she is unable to live like other girls without an enormous struggle.
Giving ADHD girls a label for why their brains are different is a huge relief.
Once your ADHD daughter (and you), know the “why” behind her brain differences, it becomes easier to come up with a way to meet the needs of her brain differences.
3 Simple Strategies that Provide Support for Girls with ADHD
You’ll know by now that parenting a girl with ADHD is a lot different than parenting a girl without ADHD. Here are a couple of quick wins you can implement that will ensure you maximize her academic success at home.
Take a Break
Kids are easily overwhelmed with work if they have ADHD. One simple way to help a kid with ADHD reset is to implement brain breaks. These 60-second or fewer activities help reset a girl’s brain and gets her out of the flight or fight mode. You can use these at home or in the classroom!
Prevent Distractions
Helping a child with ADHD focus on school is an essential part of teaching. You can’t teach a child properly unless she is completely focused and willing to learn. We use these steps to prevent distractions for our ADHD girls:
Reduce Emotional Overload
The impulsive side of ADHD means a girl with ADHD will be susceptible to mood swings. She will instantly feel completely happy, sad, angry, outraged, or silly- sometimes all within the same day.
Use these tips for regulating your own emotions and setting the stage for emotion control.
More Resources for Parents of Girls with ADHD
How to Set Up an ADHD-Friendly Study Space for Girls
ADHD Tools that Help Girls Learn
Non-Distracting Fidget Bracelets for Girls with ADHD