30 January 2019
 Categories: , Blog

ADHD has long been known to be a factor that causes children to struggle in school. However, people tend to focus so much on the hyperactive type of this disorder that some children get overlooked. This is especially common with girls, who may internalize their feelings and try to cope with their symptoms in different ways. Inattentive type ADHD is characterized by less instances of hyperactivity, but the symptoms are still disruptive to your daughter's academic endeavors. Be sure to watch for these signs that your daughter would benefit from an ADHD evaluation to find out if she needs support to learn to cope with her symptoms.

Has She Been Described as a Daydreamer?

While children with the hyperactive type tend to be incredibly high energy, those with inattentive type tend to be classified as daydreamers. You may notice that your daughter doesn't always respond to you right away, or her teacher may claim that she just seems unfocused or gazes off into space. 

Does She Have an Endless Stream of Unfinished Projects?

Your daughter may dive into her homework and extracurricular projects with gusto. However, she quickly loses steam, and you find that many of her assignments are incomplete. While this may look like laziness on her part, the truth is that a child with inattentive type ADHD simply gets distracted and forgets to finish. If your daughter's evaluation shows that she does have this disorder, then she can learn how to use strategies such as setting an alarm for a quick break to bring her back to the task when she feels distracted.

Is She Constantly Late Turning in Work or Getting to Class?

Chronic lateness is not always a character issue. Instead, your daughter may mean to get to class in time, but she gets distracted by the need to run back to her locker to grab her assignment. Students who struggle with adhering to a schedule but that are genuinely not trying to skip homework or class likely have a reason for being unable to make it on time.

Does She Experience Social or School Related Anxiety?

A child with undiagnosed inattentive type ADHD often experiences frustration, fear and anxiety about the consequences that they may face due to their symptoms. For instance, their friends may start to shun them if they never return messages or show up to events on time. Alternatively, your daughter may start to express feelings of low self-esteem such as saying she feels stupid when she gets in trouble for not knowing something in class.

Once your daughter expresses negative feelings or experiences problems in school, it is time to take action to determine what might are the cause. By making the effort to identify if ADHD may be the issue, you can start giving your daughter the tools she needs to be successful in any environment.