When parents think about what ADHD is, they often imagine a lively, restless boy who finds it difficult to sit still, interrupt others, and find it difficult to follow the rules. Such an idea is not wrong-but it is incomplete.

ADHD often manifests itself differently in girls than in boys. It is because of these differences that girls with ADHD are often overlooked or recognized later, which can have a significant impact on their experience of themselves and the world.

How is ADHD different in girls and boys?

When talking about ADHD in children, it is important to understand that ADHD signs can manifest themselves in very different ways.

In boys, the symptoms are often more visible externally. Parents and teachers may notice:

• pronounced hyperactivity and impulsive reactions,

• constant movement and difficulty sitting still,

• interrupting, answering without reflection,

• more risky behavior,

• more externally expressed emotions such as anger or frustration,

• behavior that can be quickly recognized as disturbing in class.

Therefore, boys are often noticed earlier and also referred to additional support more quickly.

In girls, on the other hand, the symptoms of ADHD are often more silent, directed to the inside of the experience and less noticeable externally. Instead of pronounced physical hyperactivity, they occur more often:

• inattention and drifting away with thoughts (daydreaming, difficulty maintaining focus),

• the so-called mental hyperactivity (constant thinking, internal dialogue, the feeling that"something is happening in the head all the time"),

• inner restlessness, despite acting calmly,

• forgetfulness and loss of information or things, 

• feeling of "mental fog" when thoughts are vague or confused,

• problems with the organization of thoughts and tasks.

Girls can act quite collected and cooperative, but in fact a very intense internal process takes place in them. These signs can often be overlooked or misunderstood as personality traits - such as shyness, dreaminess, or lack of interest. 

Why are girls with ADHD often diagnosed later?

Many parents ask themselves why ADHD in girls is often only discovered later – in adolescence or even in adulthood. There are several reasons:

• their symptoms do not interfere with classes and are not annoying to those around them,

• they often develop strategies through which they adapt to social situations in such a way that their problems are less noticeable externally (masking),

• diagnostic criteria are historically more adapted to boys,

• their calm and cooperative behavior is often understood by those around them as good self-control.

Girls often try very hard to meet the expectations of their surroundings or their loved ones.  The inner effort experienced by children with ADHD more often goes unnoticed, because they - especially girls - try to hide it and often compensate for it more successfully than boys.

Although ADHD in girls may seem less pronounced at first glance, this does not mean that it is also less demanding. It often happens where it is not visible-in thoughts, emotions and inner experience. 

In the following, we will look at this very part - how girls with ADHD experience everyday life from the inside, what masking means and why their effort is often overlooked.