Are girls more likely to have ADHD?

One of the most common questions parents ask is whether ADHD favours one gender — and the honest answer reshapes how we look at our daughters.

In short

No — boys are diagnosed with ADHD more often than girls, but that does not mean girls are less likely to have it. Research suggests ADHD in girls is frequently missed or recognised much later, because girls more often show the quieter, inattentive pattern — daydreaming, disorganisation, internal restlessness — rather than the obvious hyperactivity that gets noticed in boys. So the gap is largely about who gets seen, not who is affected.

Why girls are often overlooked

ADHD (ICD-11 code 6A05) shows up along a spectrum of attention, activity and impulse regulation. Several patterns explain why girls slip through:

• Presentation differs — girls more often have the predominantly inattentive type, which looks like forgetfulness, losing things, or being "away with the fairies" rather than disruptive.
• Masking and coping — many girls work hard to keep up and hide their struggles, so difficulties appear later, often as anxiety, low confidence or exhaustion.
• Referral bias — because the classic picture in adults' minds is a restless boy, a daydreaming girl may simply be called "shy" or "a bit scattered".

This is why a girl's challenges sometimes only surface around the higher demands of later school years. The point is not to label, but to look properly — with the same curiosity for a quiet child as for a loud one.

When to seek a check

Consider a developmental check if, across both home and school, your child shows persistent inattention, difficulty finishing tasks, forgetfulness or restlessness that is out of step with her age and is affecting learning, friendships or self-esteem. Patterns that show up in more than one setting matter more than a single hard day.

The Pinnacle way

AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an online form or a checklist. Our approach looks at the whole child, so a quietly struggling daughter is seen as clearly as anyone else. Explore how we support attention and learning, understand what the AbilityScore® is and how it is calculated, and learn about behavioural therapy that builds real-world skills.

Trusted sources

WHO ICD-11 (6A05, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder); CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early.; American Academy of Pediatrics via HealthyChildren.org; NICE NG87 on ADHD diagnosis and management; Indian Academy of Pediatrics.

Next step — If your daughter's attention or learning worries you, book a developmental check with a Pinnacle clinician.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.