3. Myth or Fact? ADHD doesn't affect girls.
Myth. In fact, this harmful myth may explain why NIMH statistics show that boys are diagnosed four times more often than girls.
Adults may ignore ADHD symptoms in girls because hyperactivity shows up "more often as hyper-talkativeness and hyper-reactivity" rather than rowdy behavior, says Kathleen Nadeau, a psychologist and director of Chesapeake ADHD Center in Silver Spring, Md.
Hyper-reactivity is characterized by the tendency to be highly emotional and oversensitive, Nadeau says. As a result, girls with ADHD often have difficulty controlling their emotions in relationships, taking offense easily and escalating confrontations by making impulsive remarks.
Like their male counterparts, however, girls with ADHD are often inattentive, meaning they're unable to stay focused and tend to lose important items, says Nadeau, who is also co-founder of the nonprofit National Center for Gender Issues in ADHD, a group that educates the public on the prevalence of ADHD in girls.
In girls, inattentiveness causes their self-esteem to suffer, putting them at risk for teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, anxiety and depression, Nadeau says.
4. Myth or Fact? ADHD is not the same thing as a learning problem.
Fact. Kids with ADHD have attention problems, which may lead to troubles with schoolwork, but a learning disability[1] is a different diagnosis, says Alice Medalia, Ph.D., psychologist and professor at Columbia University Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry.
References
- ^ learning disability (www.lifescript.com)
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