Six Symptoms to Help Diagnose Females With ADHD

Six Symptoms to Help Diagnose Females With ADHD
Unfortunately many girls, and women, who could benefit from
treatment for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder) may be going undiagnosed. We diabetics know that
dealing with our diabetes plays a large role in our lives.
We have to monitor our blood sugar levels, take our
medicines at the proper times, eat on a regular schedule
and many of us have to deal with injections several times a
day. For most of us it may be a nuisance at times, but
quickly becomes very routine. When other health problems
are added in, it becomes more problematic. For the ADHD
person, especially children and teenagers, adding on the
burden of all that diabetes entails may seem overwhelming.
Imagine being a female diabetic with ADHD and no one is
aware of your struggles. That may be the case for many of
our young females today.

ADHD specialist Kathleen G. Nadeau, Ph.D. of the Chesapeake
ADHD Center in Silver Spring, Maryland believes that ADHD
in girls is often missed. As the grandmother of a young
teen with ADHD, I cannot imagine him having to deal with
the demands of diabetes. When I read that many young girls
may be going undiagnosed, my heart went out to the number
of them also dealing with diabetes. So I did a little
research. Following are some things to look for if you
think your daughter could be one of them.

1. ADHD is often missed in females because they often
suffer in silence. They are not as rambuctious as boys and
are therefore not as likely to be noticed as having a
problem by parents and teachers. They are much less likely
than boys to have behavior problems in the classroom.

2. Females are more likely to be hypertalkative than
hyperactive. They are more likely than boys to be talking,
humming, singing, etc at inappropriate times.

3. Females with ADHD often do pretty well in elementary
school. It's later when their hormones start to fluctuate
that their problems in school may become more evident.
About the time their hormones start to fluctuate, they are
entering middle school or junior high school where they are
faced with greater demands for organizational and time
management skills. Thus you may see their grades start to
drop.

4. As their hormones start to fluctuate, females are also
at the stage where social relationships become very
important. If they start having trouble "fitting in" this
can be very traumatic for them. They may turn to food for
comfort which can wreak havoc for the diabetic.

5. In their early teens, females with ADHD usually become
disorganized, messy, forgetful, easily distracted and are
very likely to procrastinate.

6. Girls may have more difficulty keeping up with life's
daily demands therefore becoming very argumentative and
emotional.

All of the above items can, at one time or another describe
the typical teenager, making a diagnosis even more
difficult. But, if you notice several of these symptoms,
do your daughter a favor. Take her to a doctor who
specializes in ADHD. Your family doctor or pediatriction
may not be trained to look for these symptons. If your
child is diabetic and ADHD you owe it to her to get help
for her. Both of these diseases require constant medical
supervision. Make your child's life easier by helping her
deal with her ADHD. Both you and she will be glad you did.

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