Dr. Russell Barkley

So there were various reasons why girls just didn't get referred.

The other thing is that girls are less hyperactive and aggressive.

And nothing will get you referred faster to a mental health clinic than being a pain in the ass.

And the boys are just a pain in the butt.

And so they got referred, whereas the girls are simply chatty Cathy's.

They're the social butterflies not doing any work.

flitting around, drama queens, but none of that gets you referred because you're not punching anybody.

You're not talking back to your teacher.

You're not so defiant.

So the girls kind of got overlooked because they tend to have less of the hyperactivity, a little bit more of the inattention.

than the boys do.

But that is changing.

We now get it.

I mean, virtually every week, I'm seeing three to four articles in my newsfeed on girls and women with ADHD.

So hoorah, you know, the information's getting out there.

Another reason for the girls being overlooked is, as I said, the disorder occurs three times more often in boys than girls.

And so it's hard to spot it in a girl.

And a girl has to be more severe

to get referred and treated.

But there was another reason for that.