ADHD Symptoms in Children

Easy-to-Miss ADHD Symptoms in Girls

Disorganized daydreamers. Social butterflies. Space cadets. These are all awful labels applied wrongfully and thoughtlessly to girls with ADHD. Learn the signs and symptoms of attention deficit in girls, and save your daughter a lifetime of shame.

ADHD symptoms in girls can be hard to decipher, which is why the condition is often overlooked and underreported by teachers. The following behaviors, occurring frequently and in various combinations, may indicate ADHD.

1. Daydreaming quietly in class

2. Looking out the window while twirling her hair

3. Picking at her cuticles often

4. Feeling anxious and sad (but not meeting the criteria of any diagnosable disorder)

5. Talking incessantly or hyperactively

6. Appearing to be silly, a show-off, or boy-crazy

7. Seeming to fade into the background; acting shy and inattentive

8. Having trouble maintaining friendships

9. Putting in extra effort to hyperfocus in order to compensate for inattentiveness (and feeling anxious and self-critical as a result)

[Self-Test: The ADHD Test for Girls]

Find the ADHD Self-report Questionnaire for Teenage Girls, a comprehensive checklist your daughter can review herself, at ADDvance.com.