The Pink Version of ADHD
Post submitted by Educational Leadership Senior Associate Editor Amy Azzam
An excess of "boy" data has skewed how we think about ADHD. In her presentation at the recent Learning and the Brain Conference, developmental pediatrician Patricia Quinn said that the model we use to describe and assess for ADHD doesn’t really apply to girls.
That's because the data on ADHD are boy-dominated. And it's easy to see why: Students depend on their teachers for referrals, and who do teachers overwhelmingly refer? Boys. Their hyperactivity is easy to spot; it sticks out like a sore thumb in the classroom. Teachers have a far tougher time identifying the girls, which means that their data never get into the mix.
So what kinds of behaviors do girls with ADHD tend to exhibit?
- They often internalize. If a boy with ADHD fails a test, he's likely to say that the test was "stupid" whereas a girl with ADHD is likely to say that she is stupid.
- They compensate better than boys do and often manage to get decent grades. If they remember at the last minute a project that’s due tomorrow, they’ll often coerce their mothers into helping them get it done on time.
- They often blame themselves and have low self-esteem, factors that may lead to depression.
- Their hyperactivity often expresses itself as hyper-talkativeness.
- They may have few or no friends.
- They have a big problem with time management.
Quinn suggests that schools look at ADHD before asking a girl to repeat a grade. "Repetition is no solution for ADHD," she said. She advises screening any girl who has siblings with the disorder and more carefully assessing girls who have received speech interventions in the past, because speech difficulties can be a red flag for the disorder.
