Male-Female Differences

Is there a difference in the comorbid illness between males and females?

     For adults the answer is we don’t know yet. However, Dr. Biederman and his colleagues presented recent research on the largest sample of girls with ADHD age 11-12 and compared their findings to boys the same age. What they found may debunk some long-held myths about this disorder in girls

    It is commonly accepted that girls have inattentive type ADHD with little hyperactivity.  Dr. Beiderman's study might challenge that presumption.  Regardless, it is true that the children, girls and boys, with the inattentive type often go unrecognized because they are not disruptive in class or social settings. As a result, these children may not be identified until later in life, if at all. The persistent impairments in daily function are likely to have a negative impact on self-image and esteem.