Do ADHD Symptoms Change as Children Grow Up?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often associated with kids alone, but this condition follows children as they grow, and symptoms can change. Here’s a look at how ADHD can evolve with time.

When most people hear attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they automatically assume it affects kids alone. The reality is that, in the United States, about 6.5 million kids are diagnosed with ADHD, as well as 15.5 million adults. In other words, ADHD doesn’t magically go away and follows most kids into adulthood.

That said, how ADHD presents itself can change as children grow into adolescents and adolescents into adults.

To give you an idea about how ADHD follows people through childhood and into adulthood, our team of mental health experts here at Point of View Mental Health in Scottsdale, Arizona, has compiled the following information.

Diagnosing ADHD in kids versus adults

In a majority of cases, ADHD is diagnosed in kids ages 4-16 using a set of guidelines that illustrate a pattern of:

Inattention
Hyperactivity
Impulsivity
A combination of the above

To be diagnosed with ADHD, kids need to display at least six symptoms of the above for six months or more.

For adults, we look for five symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The reason this number is lower for adults is that those with ADHD learn how to regulate behaviors as they grow and develop.

You don’t grow out of ADHD, you regulate it better

There’s no cure for ADHD, and treatment often comes down to medication and management techniques, as well as behavioral counseling.

If your child is diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, they have the benefit of getting help early on, which can reduce their symptoms in adulthood. The symptoms are still there, but they have more control over them thanks to learned self-regulation.

Also, consequences become more important and understood as kids develop — they recognize the cause and effect of their actions.

Because individuals diagnosed with ADHD better manage their symptoms as they grow, it might mean that, comparatively speaking, they’ve made advancements from where they were when they were younger, but they may still be behind their peers.

Adults can hide ADHD better

As adolescents with ADHD grow into adults, they've not only had more time to regulate their symptoms, but they’ve also learned how to hide or mask them.

Adults are expected to show up in a certain way in our society, so adults with ADHD often have to work to tamp down their symptoms. Since ADHD doesn't go away, symptoms do still manifest, and adults with ADHD often struggle at work and at home.

This is why we’re proponents of continuing your ADHD treatment through adolescence and adulthood. Untreated adult ADHD is challenging and can lead to depression and anxiety as societal pressures increase.

So, if you or a loved one is struggling with ADHD at any age, it’s important to get the right mental health practitioners in your corner. Our Point of View Mental Health team is ready to help.

To sit down with our ADHD specialist, contact our office at 520-999-9114 or connect with us online. We also offer telemedicine services throughout the state of Arizona.