There is a revolution underway. Women are raising their voices against long-established male-centric thinking about ADHD and demanding diagnostic criteria that reflect the female experience of ADHD.
Most diagnostic tools have been developed by men and screen for symptoms seen in boys with ADHD, a huge impediment to proper care and treatment for girls and women with the condition.
Even the questionnaires that are considered gender normed — meaning adjusted to ensure equal rates across genders — ask male-centric questions but require fewer points for a female to meet the threshold for a clinical diagnosis.For example, the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) is widely accepted as a standard screener for identifying adults with ADHD.
This questionnaire, like many others, was developed by males to identify traits consistent with the male-centric Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria.All six of the most salient items on the ASRS describe most men with ADHD, while only three pertain to most females.