New academic research has pinpointed a critical reason why countless girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not diagnosed until their late teens or adulthood. The study, published on Thursday 15 January 2026, argues that a pervasive cultural stereotype of the condition means those who do not fit the mould are consistently overlooked, with profound consequences for their wellbeing.
The Research: How Girls with ADHD Are Misunderstood
The investigation, led by Professor Vlad Glăveanu of Dublin City University and his colleague Sorcha Walsh, involved in-depth interviews with 13 women aged between 18 and 35. All participants had received an official ADHD diagnosis, with the majority being diagnosed only after they had left school.
A striking pattern emerged from their accounts. None of the women were overlooked in school because they were invisible. Instead, teachers frequently noticed their difficulties but interpreted them through a biased lens. Behaviours such as being overly chatty, appearing dreamy, disorganised, emotionally reactive, or 'quirky' were written off as personality flaws or simply "typical girls' behaviour".
One participant recalled: "I was always known as chatty in school … I just thought it was being a girl." Another stated that for girls, it is easier to label them as "a bit chatty or contrary" rather than looking deeper. School reports often listed clear ADHD indicators without ever connecting them to a potential neurodevelopmental condition.
The Lasting Impact on Identity and Health
This chronic misrecognition had severe long-term effects. Nearly all participants internalised negative beliefs, seeing themselves as lazy, careless, overly emotional, or simply not trying hard enough. The deepest damage was to their sense of self, not necessarily their academic grades.
Many were misdiagnosed with conditions like anxiety, depression, or personality disorders before finally receiving an accurate ADHD diagnosis in adulthood. The study highlights that coping is not the same as thriving. Girls often engage in masking—concealing symptoms to fit in—and overcompensation, strategies linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout.
An unexpected finding was that an early diagnosis did not guarantee support. The few girls diagnosed in school still struggled because teachers lacked understanding of how ADHD presents in females. Their behaviours were often treated as intentional rather than symptomatic, leaving them without meaningful accommodations.
Systemic Flaws and a Path Forward
The research exposes a fundamental flaw in diagnostic culture: we tend to diagnose only what we expect to see. For decades, ADHD has been stereotyped as a condition of hyperactive young boys who disrupt classrooms. However, girls are more likely to exhibit inattentive and internalising symptoms, such as emotional dysregulation, cognitive overload, and quiet inattention, which current criteria can miss.
The women in the study offered clear solutions for schools:
- Train teachers to recognise non-stereotypical signs of ADHD, including daydreaming, talkativeness, or restlessness.
- Reframe perceived weaknesses as potential strengths, nurturing creativity, humour, quick-thinking, and the ability to hyperfocus.
- Provide meaningful accommodations like more structure, movement breaks, and mentorship for girls with ADHD.
Professor Vlad Glăveanu concludes that girls with ADHD do not need to be louder to be seen; they need an educational system that knows what to look for. Recognising their experiences earlier could prevent years of misunderstanding, self-doubt, and missed potential. While the study's sample was small, its findings align with wider literature showing girls are diagnosed later than boys.
