If you’ve noticed a change in your daughter’s behavior or attention span, you’re not alone. A recent study published in JAMA found that girls and young women are now leading in ADHD diagnoses in British Columbia, surpassing boys for the first time on record.
What’s Happening
The study analyzed health data from over 2.7 million patients aged 3 to 29 in British Columbia from 2003 to 2023. Researchers found that ADHD diagnoses among female adolescents and young adults surpassed those of males in the post-pandemic years.
Girls surpass boys in ADHD diagnoses in British Columbia. What does this mean for parents and educators?
Context and Significance
This trend is significant because it highlights the importance of increased awareness and recognition of ADHD symptoms in girls and young women. The DSM-5 changes, which broadened the diagnostic category, may have also contributed to the increase in diagnoses.
The study’s findings highlight the importance of increased awareness and recognition of ADHD symptoms in girls and young women.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Implications and Applications
The study’s findings have implications for parents, educators, and healthcare professionals. It’s essential to recognize that ADHD symptoms can manifest differently in girls and boys, and that early intervention and support are crucial for improving outcomes.
Key takeaways
- ADHD Diagnoses: Girls and young women are now leading in ADHD diagnoses in British Columbia.
- Increased Awareness: The DSM-5 changes and increased awareness may have contributed to the increase in diagnoses.
- Early Intervention: Early intervention and support are crucial for improving outcomes for individuals with ADHD.
Looking Ahead
As we move forward, it’s essential to continue monitoring ADHD diagnosis rates and to develop targeted interventions that address the unique needs of girls and young women with ADHD. By working together, we can ensure that all individuals with ADHD receive the support and resources they need to thrive.
If you’re concerned about your child’s ADHD symptoms or diagnosis, the Learning Success All Access Program offers a free trial that includes a personalized Action Plan. You keep the plan even if you decide it’s not the right fit. Take the first step towards supporting your child’s unique needs and helping them thrive.
See what All Access gives your child
Explore Focus Foundations
Is your child struggling in school?
Get your free personalized learning roadmap
You describe what you see at home. We turn it into a plan you start this week.
- Answer 5 short questionnaires about what you already notice, 30–45 minutes at your own kitchen table
- Your child sits no test and gets no score: nothing to schedule, nothing for them to dread
- You do the answering, the AI does the writing, and a person reviews it before it reaches you
- Access all 40+ courses instantly: reading, math, focus, processing and more, with new ones added regularly
Why we use AI, plainly: it writes from a knowledge base our team maintains and audits. We work through it line by line and pull anything the evidence stops supporting. The roadmap you get on Tuesday reflects what we corrected on Monday, and a human still reads it before you do.
Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.
Your answers stay yours. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not hand identifiable assessment data to outside AI companies to train their models.
A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.
References
- Source: USA Today
