A 17-year-old who excels in school but waits until the night before college applications are due to ask for recommendations.A 14-year-old team captain who fights with his younger sibling as if he were 6 himself.A 12-year-old with plenty of friends who forgets basic hygiene like brushing teeth or showering.These are just a few ways that the gap between chronological age and developmental age shows up in youth with ADHD – a mismatch that leaves many parents bewildered.ADHD, like autism or a learning disability, is a neurodevelopmental disorder.
In plain terms, it means that your child may not always “act their age.” It’s why your child keeps pace with peers or even excels in some areas but falls well behind in others.
The gap feels especially troubling as demands (and their consequences) balloon over time. Your child may be chronologically ready to get their driver’s license or go away to college, for instance, but they may not be developmentally ready.You’re not the only one who sees the mismatch.
Your child likely sees and feels it, too. For many children and teens with ADHD, the gap between their abilities and their peers’ often drives self-esteem challenges.
Read more on additudemag.com