Symptom Tests for Adults

[Self-Test] ADHD Symptoms in Women and Girls

Symptoms of ADHD and ADD often manifest differently in men and women, many of whom grew up being called lazy or dumb while inattentive attention deficit was ignored or mislabeled as hormones or anxiety. Take this self-test to see if you exhibit the symptoms of ADD most common in women and girls. Then share the results with your doctor to seek a diagnosis.

By Sari Solden, M.S., LMFT Medically reviewed by Michele Novotni, Ph.D. on October 11, 2019

Symptoms of ADHD or ADD in Women

Attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) is not gender biased. ADHD symptoms exist almost as often in girls as they do in boys, and the majority of kids with ADHD never outgrow it. What’s more, scientific research strongly suggests that ADHD is hereditary. Which means that, if you are the mother of a child with attention and impulsivity problems, you may have ADHD, too.

[Related Self-Test: Inattentive ADD Symptoms in Adults]

This comes as a surprise to many women who assume that ADHD is a diagnosis for hyper little boys. Indeed, it is not. ADHD in adults is very real; and ADHD diagnoses among women are on the rise.

According to the 5th edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ADHD symptoms may fall into three categories: predominantly hyperactive, predominantly inattentive, and combined type. Inattentive ADHD symptoms are still often misunderstood and misdiagnosed by medical professionals who mistake them for stress, anxiety, or another related condition. Inattentive ADHD is also more common in girls and women than it is in boys and men.

If you suspect that you or your daughter have symptoms of ADHD, complete the free female ADHD test below and share the results with a health care professional — the only person who can diagnose ADHD.

[Related Self-Test: The ADHD Test for Girls]

NOTE: This self-test is not intended to diagnose or to replace the care of a health care professional.  Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose ADHD based on clinical evaluation.

Sari Solden, M.S., LMFT, is a member of the ADDitude ADHD Medical Review Panel.

Can’t see the self-test questions above? Click here to open this test in a new window.

What To Do Next:

1. Take this Test: Inattentive ADD Symptoms in Adults
2. Take this Test: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Symptoms in Adults
3. Take this Test: Full ADHD Symptom Test for Adults
4. Download: Free Resource for Women and Girls: Do I Have ADHD?
5. Research: What ADD Looks Like In Women
6. Listen to “The Happiness Project for Women with ADHD” – an Expert Webinar with Sari Solden M.S., LMFT
7. Read More About Women, Hormones, and ADHD



Updated on October 11, 2019

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    1. The higher the percentage(the more questions you answered in the affirmative), the more likely you are to be demonstrating the symptoms of attention deficit disorder. This self-test is not a diagnosis. A mental health professional can make a diagnosis based on clinical evaluation. Print out your results and take them to you clinician for diagnosis and treatment.

  6. Its interesting the test mentions thank you notes and other types of greeting cards. Why are these so hard for us, so easy for others? I’ve struggled with this my whole adult life. My friends will whip out a thank you note within a day or two, while for me its an epic project that may take months yo get to, if I ever do. It makes us seem unappreciative or uncaring, but we are not. Would love to finally get to the bottom of this weird struggle…..anybody have ideas or ever read an article on this? I haven’t been able to find anything.

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