Age of ADHD Onset

Studies reported that boys may exhibit elevated symptoms of ADHD from childhood, easily meeting the criteria for age of onset. Parents may overrate symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness in boys, taking them in for diagnosis much earlier. On the other hand, parents may underestimate the severity and impairment of hyperactivity and impulsiveness in girls or attribute the symptoms to something else such as hormonal problems, anxiety, or depression and may not take them to the doctor for ADHD testing.  Females are more likely to show increases in symptoms in early adolescence. Therefore, if the females are taken to the doctor, clinicians may exclude girls from an ADHD diagnosis because the age of onset criteria works for boys but can occur several years later for girls. The good news is that an increased awareness of male-female differences in onset and exhibition of symptoms, can help in providing earlier diagnosis and treatment for females.

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