In 1980, revamped criteria allowed for the possibility of inattention without hyperactivity, finally facilitating diagnosis of predominantly inattentive girls, whose behaviors least resembled those of hyperactive boys. In fact, contrary to the belief that ADHD was solely a childhood disorder, we now know that ADHD persists into adulthood in the majority of cases. We now know hyperactivity tends to diminish with age, and that ADHD does not resolve at puberty. That understanding of ADHD as a male-dominated childhood disorder persisted for decades, during which time girls were not considered for diagnosis.
#Bys drugged and called adhd when they are simply being boys manual#
As a result, the picture of ADHD emerged as a disorder limited to childhood, predominantly affecting hyperactive boys it was formally classified as a disruptive behavior disorder of childhood in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) until 2013. When those young boys finally reached puberty, their hallmark symptom of hyperactivity gradually tapered off-to the extent that it was believed that the disorder resolved at puberty. As a result, diagnosed girls were vastly outnumbered by diagnosed boys. The majority of girls with ADHD experience primarily inattentive symptoms which did not meet diagnostic criteria. Since hyperactivity was identified as the hallmark, only the rare young girls with behaviors most similar to those boys could be diagnosed. Researchers used the data describing the behaviors of those boys as the basis for the early diagnostic criteria. Many people hold that long-standing and widespread belief that only boys have ADHD-but it is a myth.įor almost a century, the majority of clinic referrals were for young hyperactive boys who were impulsive and unmanageable.
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