Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental conditions today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 9.4 percent of children aged 2 to 17 in the United States have been diagnosed with the disorder. Most children are diagnosed with ADHD around the age of seven, but symptoms can continue into adolescence and adulthood.
If you have a teen with ADHD, or you think your teen might have ADHD, we’ll explore what you need to know about how this disorder can affect your child. In this article, we discuss the signs and symptoms of ADHD in teens, risks that teens with ADHD face, typical ADHD treatments, and how you can help them cope with this condition.
Key takeaways:
- ADHD is most commonly diagnosed in children, however sometimes symptoms don’t become apparent until adolescence
- Symptoms of ADHD can include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, disorganization, impulsivity, and poor concentration
- Diagnosing ADHD in teens can be a complex process that requires physical evaluation and contributions from family members and teachers
- Most teenagers can successfully manage ADHD with the right combination of medication and supportive lifestyle changes.
ADHD symptoms for teens
There are many symptoms of ADHD, and not every teenager will display all the signs and symptoms. At the same time, if a teen exhibits some of these behaviors it doesn’t necessarily mean they have ADHD. However, it helps to recognize the signs and symptoms as it’s often the first step towards getting your teen the help they need.
Below are common ADHD symptoms for teenagers.
- Lack of focus: Teens with ADHD often struggle to stay focused on a task. They may start projects and become easily distracted, never finishing them. This lack of focus can translate to careless mistakes made at school, home, or work.
- Disorganization: Misplacing your keys or phone is common, but teens with ADHD will be losing their possessions frequently.
- Procrastination: Teens with ADHD are known to procrastinate and put off tasks that might take a long time to complete. This results in not handing in homework or missing deadlines.
- Daydreaming: It’s common for teens with ADHD to be lost in their thoughts or daydreams for extended periods of time.
- Restlessness: Many teenagers with ADHD can find it difficult to sit still without fidgeting or getting up. This often means they struggle with quiet activities like reading or working on a project alone.
- Emotionality: Being a teenager is already difficult, but with ADHD a teenager can be overly dramatic, angry, and emotional.
- Impulsiveness: Teens with ADHD can be particularly impulsive and struggle to resist temptation. Sometimes, this can lead to dangerous or reckless choices.
- Difficulty reading social cues: Some teens with ADHD may struggle to read social cues and not realize when they have annoyed someone. This can sometimes make it difficult to make or maintain friendships.
- Trouble following directions: Lack of focus, restlessness, and daydreaming can make it hard for teenagers to understand and follow directions.
- Lack of compromise: This is a byproduct of other ADHD symptoms, such as lack of focus, self-focused behavior, and difficulty reading social cues. Teens with ADHD can find it hard to compromise with others.
- Conversational issues: Teens with ADHD can struggle with conversational skills. They’ll often interrupt others, talk too much, leave mid-conversation, or seem as though they’re not listening when someone is speaking to them.
ADHD symptoms can differ slightly between males and females. Males are more likely to display the obvious hyperactive symptoms that ADHD is known for while females tend towards less obvious symptoms of inattentiveness. This sometimes means that ADHD can be overlooked in females.
Biggest risks facing teens with ADHD
Research shows that teens with ADHD can be more likely to face certain risks. These include:
- ‘Risky’ sexual behaviors, including unwanted pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections
- Suicidal ideation
- Serious car crashes
- Job issues and not completing high school
- Substance use, including alcohol or drugs
- Incarcerations
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Co-morbidities including anxiety and depression.
One major concern is that the impulsive nature of teens with ADHD can lead them to make unwise and potentially dangerous choices. This can be countered with long-term use of ADHD medication, which has been shown to reduce the risk of poor or impulsive decision making amongst teens. On top of that, teens with ADHD need careful guidance and support from parents and caregivers. As difficult as it may be, it’s important to maintain open communication, keep a close eye on your teens, and set clear boundaries.
Similar Reading: 10 Tips for Finding Motivation When You’re Depressed
Teens, ADHD, and driving
Driving poses a special risk for teenagers with ADHD. Motor vehicle accidents are already the leading cause of death amongst adolescents, and research shows that teens with ADHD are 36% more likely to have a car crash than teens without ADHD. In one 2019 study by the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP), drivers with ADHD had 62% higher rate of injury crashes and more than 100% higher rate of alcohol-related crashes than their neurotypical counterparts.
ADHD symptoms like impulsivity, inattention, and distractibility can all affect a teen’s ability to manage driving conditions. On top of that, thrill-seeking and risky behaviors can add to the risks, making accidents more likely. Thankfully, research shows that teens with ADHD who take their medication regularly are less likely to have accidents.
If you have a teen with ADHD, it’s important to carefully assess their emotional maturity and driving ability. While some teens with ADHD can be extremely careful drivers, others aren’t quite ready to manage road safety. Factors like high impulsivity and emotionality can serve as indicators that a child isn’t ready to take on this responsibility.
Does ADHD impact relationships?
Some teens with ADHD can struggle in their relationships. If this is the case with your child, there are things you can do to improve their social skills. Below are some tips:
- Involve your child in social activities, including sports or hobbies. Try to choose an activity that they’re good at to build confidence and encourage them to engage with peers
- If your child is withdrawn or shy, gently encourage socializing without being too pushy
- Before an event, take a moment to talk to your child about what they should expect and what others might expect from them
- Reward your child for positive social behavior
- Don’t try to change them too much, too quickly. Pick one or two habits to focus on at a time
- Engage your child’s teachers and ask for feedback and guidance on how your child is engaging with others at school
- Don’t go overboard, one or two close friendships is enough.
See: How Depression Affects Relationships and What You Can Do
How is teen ADHD diagnosed?
Most cases of ADHD are diagnosed in childhood, but sometimes symptoms won’t be apparent until adolescence. This is especially the case for females with ADHD, who are more likely to display inattentive symptoms as opposed to hyperactivity, which is more common amongst males. In fact, research shows that males are six times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than females in childhood, and three times more likely during adolescence.
Diagnosing ADHD during adolescence can be more difficult as hyperactive symptoms are less obvious. On top of that, ADHD symptoms for teens can often overlap with other mental health conditions, making it difficult to distinguish between:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Hearing and vision issues
- Learning disabilities
- Mood or personality disorders.
Properly diagnosing ADHD involves filling out questionnaires, undergoing a physical exam (including vision and hearing tests), and gathering input from parents, teachers, and other family members. It’s important to rule out other possible medical issues and diagnoses. Generally, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) outlines the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis as the following.
Those aged 16 and younger must demonstrate:
- Six or more symptoms of inattention
- Six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity.
Those aged 17 and older must show:
- Five or more symptoms of inattention
- Five or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity.
For both age groups, the symptoms:
- Must be present for 6 months or more
- Are not developmentally appropriate for their age
- Occur in two or more settings (i.e. at home and at school)
- Interfere with functioning
- Are not due to another mental disorder
- In the case of some symptoms, they first appeared before the age of 12.
There are three types of ADHD diagnosis:
- Predominantly inattentive: Characterized by behaviors of hyperactivity and impulsivity. This is the most common form of ADHD.
- Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive: Characterized by behaviors associated with inattention, often referred to as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
- Combined presentation: A mix of inattentive and hyper-impulsive symptoms.
According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, one challenge of diagnosing ADHD in teens is that many primary care physicians (PCPs) aren’t trained to understand the idiosyncrasies of ADHD and its overlapping comorbid conditions. This means they may not be equipped to perform the in-depth assessment that’s required for an ADHD diagnosis, leading to diagnosis rates diminishing as children reach middle or high school.
A properly trained mental health practitioner will be able to spot the signs of ADHD and give an accurate diagnosis. If you’d like to be evaluated for ADHD, don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at BestMind Behavioral Health for a consultation via telemedicine or in one of our Colorado or Oregon clinics. Contact us now.
How to treat ADHD in teens
The way ADHD is treated depends on the severity of symptoms. Usually, it involves medical treatment combined with behavior therapy. If the teen has other coexisting conditions, such as anxiety or depression, these must also be considered.
Medication
The vast majority of teens with ADHD are treated with stimulant medications, like dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), dextroamphetamine-amphetamine (Adderall XR), methylphenidate (Ritalin), or methylphenidate (Ritalin). Teens will usually be started on a lower dose and adjustments made as needed. Don’t be afraid to discuss potential benefits and side effects with your medication management provider.
Behavioral therapy
Teens and their parents can undergo behavioral therapy to learn how to manage emotions and navigate the world with ADHD. Behavioral therapy for ADHD can include learning:
- Problem-solving skills
- Organizational skills
- Social skills.
Lifestyle changes
Some studies show that teens with ADHD can improve with certain lifestyle shifts, including:
- Eating a balanced diet of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein
- Avoiding caffeine and sugary drinks
- Exercising daily
- Reducing screen time, particularly before bed
- Getting enough sleep.
See: How Diet and Exercise Affect Your Mental Health
How parents can help a teen with ADHD
If you have a teen struggling with ADHD, you may be wondering what you can do to help. Below are some ways you can help your teen cope with ADHD:
- Create a daily routine with regular mealtimes, wind-down, sleep, and wake-up times
- Help them organize their space, including their desk, bedroom, and backpack, so that everything has a place
- When giving instructions, be specific and give one direction at a time
- Create a dedicated space in the house for items such as keys
- Use a calendar to help them organize their time and set reminders to remember when projects or homework is due
- Help them break down big tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces
- Allow them to vent frustration without being critical or judgemental
- Be patient with their struggles and don’t scold them for things they can’t control
- Give praise and acknowledge efforts to build self-esteem
- Help them understand the potential dangers of distracted driving
- Support activities such as hobbies, sports, or music
- Reward positive behavior and set consequences for bad behavior, but stay calm when disciplining
- Set a positive example
- Set strict rules for TV, computers, phones, and video games to promote healthy sleep.
Get help for teenage ADHD
Living with ADHD can be a challenge for both teens and their families. While this developmental disorder might create hurdles in managing focus, organization, and behavior, support is available to make the journey easier for both of you. The right treatment can make a world of difference in easing symptoms and helping your teen get back on track.
At BestMind Behavioral Health, our team understands the unique challenges that teens with ADHD can face. We offer personalized care plans, including medication management and telemedicine, to help teens manage their condition and thrive in everyday life. If you or your teen is struggling with ADHD, contact the team at BestMind Behavioral Health for an evaluation and compassionate care. We provide consultations via telemedicine or in-person at our clinics in Oregon and Colorado.
