Page 83 - 18-22 Sept 1, 2021

Page 1

Daydreaming

Daughters

By Rifka Schonfeld, Director of S.O.S.
(Strategies For Optimum Success)

Did you know that there are separate ADHD ƚŚĞŝƌ ĨƌŝĞŶĚƐ͘ ůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞůLJ͕ ŐŝƌůƐ ǁŝƚŚ ,
tests for girls and boys? That’s because the ŵŝŐŚƚ ďĞ ƚŚŽƵŐŚƚ ŽĨ ĂƐ ͞ĚĂLJĚƌĞĂŵĞƌƐ͘͟ ů-
symptoms you and I might associate with ůĞŶ >ŝƩŵĂŶ͕ WŚ ͕ Ă ƉƐLJĐŚŽůŽŐŝƐƚ ǁŚŽ ĨŽĐƵƐ-
ADHD are the ones that boys generally ex- ĞƐ ŽŶ ŐĞŶĚĞƌ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ŝŶ , ĂŶĚ ĂĚ-
hibit. ǀŽĐĂƚĞƐ ĨŽƌ Ă ƌĞĞdžĂŵŝŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĚŝƐŽƌĚĞƌ͕
ƐĂLJƐ͕ ͞'ŝƌůƐ ǁŝƚŚ , ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ĂŶ ĞŶŝŐŵĂ ʹ
&Žƌ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ ƩĞŶƟŽŶ ĞĮĐŝƚ ,LJƉĞƌĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ŽŌĞŶ ŽǀĞƌůŽŽŬĞĚ͕ ŵŝƐƵŶĚĞƌƐƚŽŽĚ ĂŶĚ ŚŽƚůLJ
Disorder (ADHD) has been diagnosed as a debated.”
predominantly male syndrome. While it’s
ƚƌƵĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ŵĂũŽƌŝƚLJ ŽĨ ƚŚŽƐĞ ƐƵīĞƌŝŶŐ tŚĂƚ ŚĂƉƉĞŶƐ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŐŝƌůƐ ĮŶŝƐŚ ƐĐŚŽŽů
from ADHD are male, there are a surprising without a diagnosis? What does it mean to
number of women who deal with ADHD. ďĞ Ă ǁŽŵĂŶ ůŝǀŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ , ͍
ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ŽŶĞ ƐƚƵĚLJ Ăƚ ,ĂƌǀĂƌĚ hŶŝǀĞƌ-
sity, about 40 percent of those with ADHD ADHD and the Home
are women – except that many women with
ADHD are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. /Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĐĂƌĞĞƌƐ͕ ǁŽŵĞŶ ĚŽ ŶŽƚ
ƐŝŵƉůLJ ĂĐƚ ĂƐ ŵŽƚŚĞƌƐ͕ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ ĂůƐŽ ŽŌĞŶ
Symptoms: Boys and Girls the primary person in the household re-
sponsible for planning many aspects of
Many theorize that girls are less likely to be ŚŽŵĞ ůŝĨĞ͘ KŶ Ă ƚLJƉŝĐĂů ĚĂLJ͕ ŝŶ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ
diagnosed with ADHD because their symp- ŚĞƌ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďŝůŝƟĞƐ Ăƚ ǁŽƌŬ͕ Ă ǁŽŵĂŶ ŶĞĞĚƐ
ƚŽŵƐ ĚŝīĞƌ ŐƌĞĂƚůLJ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚŽƐĞ ŽĨ ďŽLJƐ͘ ƚŽ ŬĞĞƉ ƚƌĂĐŬ ŽĨ ŚĞƌ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͛Ɛ ĂŌĞƌƐĐŚŽŽů
Whereas many boys with ADHD cause dis- ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉůĂLJĚĂƚĞƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ŐƌŽĐĞƌLJ ůŝƐƚ͕ ƚŚĞ
ƌƵƉƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐůĂƐƐƌŽŽŵ͕ ŐŝƌůƐ ǁŝƚŚ , dinner menu, and the laundry. Keeping tabs
simply stare straight ahead at the teacher ŽŶ Ăůů ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŵŽǀŝŶŐ ƉŝĞĐĞƐ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ŽǀĞƌ-
ďƵƚ ŚĂǀĞ ŶŽ ŝĚĞĂ ǁŚĂƚ ƐŚĞ ŝƐ ƚƌLJŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƐĂLJ͘ whelming for anybody, let alone for a wom-
These girls underperform throughout el- ĂŶ ƐƵīĞƌŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ƵŶĚŝĂŐŶŽƐĞĚ , ͘ &Žƌ
ĞŵĞŶƚĂƌLJ ƐĐŚŽŽů͕ ĞǀĞŶ ƚŚŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ many women with ADHD, these tasks seem
ďƌŝŐŚƚ͘ DĂŶLJ ĚŽ ŶŽƚ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞ Ă ĚŝĂŐŶŽƐŝƐ ĂŶĚ impossible as they consistently fail to main-
ƐŝŵƉůLJ ďĞůŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ ͞ŶŽƚ ŐŽŽĚ Ăƚ ƚĂŝŶ ŽƌĚĞƌ ŝŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůŝǀĞƐ͘ Ɛ Ă ĐŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶĐĞ͕
school.” ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐĞůĨͲĞƐƚĞĞŵ ƐƵīĞƌƐ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ƚŚĞLJ ĨĞĞů
ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĨĂŝůƵƌĞ ŝƐ Ă ƌĞŇĞĐƟŽŶ ŽŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĐĂ-
/ŶƐƚĞĂĚ͕ ŐŝƌůƐ ǁŝƚŚ , ĂƌĞ ůĂďĞůĞĚ ĂƐ ͞ĐŚĂƚ- ƉĂďŝůŝƟĞƐ͘
ty,” constantly telling animated stories to

September 1 '21 The Bulletin 718.387.0123 • www.willbulletin.com Y-46