Attention Magazine August 2024

Symptoms of inattentive ADHD can affect individuals throughout the lifespan, especially—but not exclusively—girls, women, people of color, and other traditionally underserved populations. The brainchild of Cynthia Hammer, MSW, the Inattentive ADHD Coalition strives to ensure that all children with this ADHD presentation are diagnosed by age eight—and that all adults with the presentation are readily and correctly diagnosed when they seek help. Hoping to help raise awareness, CHADD’s Attention magazine highlights the work of the organization.

Hammer became interested in inattentive ADHD (ADHD-PI) after being diagnosed as an adult back in 1992. In the years that followed she learned just how frequently this diagnosis is missed. After conducting interviews with twenty-four men with the presentation and writing about their lived experiences, she began to advocate on behalf of individuals with ADHD-PI. Another impetus came from writing her memoir and self-help book, Living with Inattentive ADHD, when she realized that children and adults with ADHD-PI were still underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Since its inception in 2021, the IAC has promoted awareness of inattentive ADHD, mainly by posting information on social media. With active pages on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn, the organization also creates videos for their YouTube channel featuring interviews with adults diagnosed later in life. Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and noted author Katherine Ellison, who was herself diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, conducts these interviews. In addition, the IAC distributes questionnaires designed specifically to identify inattentive ADHD in children and adults.

More recently, Hammer completed interviews with twenty-five women with the combined presentation of ADHD. She found that they too had gone undiagnosed until later in their lives. As a result, the IAC created FINDtheADHDgirls.org, a separate website that reaches out to parents concerned about whether ADHD might be having an impact on their daughters. Their free online questionnaire draws upon DSM-5 criteria with input and feedback from two physicians and five psychologists experienced in diagnosing and treating girls affected by ADHD. Those who complete the free questionnaire receive feedback shortly afterward, and parents are advised to talk with their child’s pediatrician. The website provides articles and other curated resources that specifically focus on the needs of young girls who have ADHD.

Soon, Hammer and her team plan to further promote FINDtheADHDgirls.org with short cartoons that feature a cartoon schoolteacher who, in twenty-six ninety-second clips, educates parents and elementary school personnel about ADHD in young girls. The clips will be posted on TikTok and other social media platforms.

A clinical and consulting psychologist, Mark Katz, PhD, is the director of Learning Development Services, an educational, psychological, and neuropsychological center in San Diego, California. As a contributing editor to Attention magazine, he writes the Promising Practices column and serves on the editorial advisory board. He is also a former member of CHADD’s professional advisory board and a recipient of the CHADD Hall of Fame Award.

FOR MORE INFO
Learn more about the Inattentive ADHD Coalition: iadhd.org
Questionnaires: iadhd.org/child and iadhd.org/adult
Girls with ADHD-PI: FINDtheADHDgirls.org
Find the IAC on social media:
Facebook | facebook.com/iadhd.org
X (Twitter) | x.com/iadhd_org
Instagram | instagram.com/inattentiveadhdcoalition/
LinkedIn | linkedin.com/company/inattentive-adhd-coalition
YouTube | youtube.com/channel/UCpZLfPdz9xUrsLZQ6X4H2-A
TikTok | tiktok.com/@inattentiveadhdcoalition

ADDITIONAL READING
Ellison, Katherine. Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention. Lebanon, NJ: Munn Avenue Press, 2022.
Hammer, Cynthia. Living with Inattentive ADHD: Climbing the Circular Staircase. Hobart, NY: Hatherleigh Press, 2023.

In Attention magazine:
Gedzelman, Cheryl. Sometimes Invisible. October 2022.

Hammer, Cynthia. Myths About ADHD Can Cause Our Early Deaths.
Think You Can Spot ADHD in Your Classroom?
How We Survived as an Undiagnosed ADHD Family
What I Learned from Interviewing 24 Men with Inattentive ADHD

Wilcox, Kristin. Inattentive ADHD in Boys. April 2022.