Understanding ADHD in Teen Girls: Recognizing the Subtle Symptoms

ADHD is a commonly heard and somewhat understood diagnosis. It’s typically characterized by attention and hyperactivity issues. This would be accurate for boys and men who are living with this disorder.

For women, especially teen girls, it can be quite the challenge to recognize symptoms, let alone get an ADHD diagnosis. Unlike boys, girls more often display less obvious signs and symptoms of the disorder.

The diagnosis rates do differ between boys and girls, largely due to limited awareness of the symptom differences. Here we’ll shed some light on these more subtle symptoms.

Daydreaming or Zoning Out

ADHD is often characterized by hyperactivity, but this hyperactivity is more common among boys.

Alternatively, teen girls are more likely to demonstrate daydreaming behaviors. They may appear spacey or zoned out. This can be easily mistaken for teen girls being flighty or “ditzy.”

ADHD makes it harder for girls to follow lesson plans in the classroom or social conversations among friends.

Excessive Talking

If girls are displaying hyperactivity, it’s more likely to manifest as excessive talking over physical activity. Teen girls with high energy may be more social and talkative among friends. This may appear as a social butterfly type or just chatty when spoken to.

This also applies to classroom behaviors and can be mistaken for behavioral issues. The excessive talking can take place during classes, being disruptive to teachers and classmates.

Academic Inconsistencies

When a subject matter is of interest to a teen girl with ADHD, they can hyperfocus. This laser focus makes them exceptionally knowledgeable in this area and allows them to be fully engaged.

When a subject is of little interest, however, it can be that much more difficult to pay attention. This can create inconsistencies in academic performance. Some subjects they may be passing with flying colors, and others not so much.

Sensitivity

Teen girls are in a peak developmental phase where emotions are already running high and stress carries a ton of weight. This is all normal as they try to navigate their feelings and figure out their identity.

For girls with ADHD, there can be strong emotional reactions to simple stressors, compounding what they’re already feeling. In the face of criticism, it can hit harder than to it would for someone without ADHD. They also have a heightened fear of rejection, whether real or perceived. For social situations that are already hard enough, it can make it more of a challenge.

Organizational Challenges

Teen girls with ADHD often struggle with organization. Their rooms may be messy and out of sorts to the outsider eye, but they often have an order to this disorganization that makes sense to them.

They may lose items easily because of the organization struggles. Lost keys, lost homework, lost school supplies can be very commonly experienced.

The disorganization also applies to time management. Homework deadlines or project timelines are difficult to maintain. This factor can also lend itself to the inconsistent academic performance. No matter how hard they try, there are additional challenges that impact various aspects of their day.

Compensatory Masking

Girls with ADHD often are aware of certain symptoms, even if they aren’t able to identify what’s causing them. Many go on to develop coping mechanisms that offset or counteract some of these symptoms.

Poor time management leads to staying up late at night to complete homework. Spacey habits can lead to forgetfulness, so various systems are used as reminders. Academic inconsistencies or disruptive/talkative behaviors get laughed off, changing the narrative to something more comedic.

Unfortunately, this masking of symptoms makes it harder to identify that ADHD may be the culprit.

Therapeutic Intervention

If you’re noticing patterns of behaviors that seem odd, even if it’s something small, it’s worth exploring. It’s better to be wrong than to overlook underlying ADHD. Many girls learn how to manage it, but seeking the right treatment can help make life exponentially easier. Schedule a consultation for teen therapy today to get the conversation started.