Time to get beyond the myths about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Children with ADHD need a lot of support but girls with symptoms can fly under the radar, writes Andrea Mara

THERE are many myths about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — that it’s always synonymous with “hyper”, that it’s a new-fangled label for “bold” and that it only affects boys.

In fact, girls may be just as likely to have ADHD — it just doesn’t look the same as it does in boys. That’s according to Dr Ellen Littman, a New York-based clinical psychologist who recently travelled to Dublin to deliver a keynote address at HADD ADHD-Ireland’s “ADHD, Girls, and Women” event.