Are you worried that your teenager might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? It’s natural for parents to be concerned when they notice certain signs and symptoms that could be associated with ADHD. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 3.3 million adolescents aged 12-17 are diagnosed with ADHD. This widespread prevalence presents ongoing challenges for both teens and their parents.1
Our parent test is designed to offer an initial understanding and starting point to determine if your teen’s behavior aligns with the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis. Learn more about ADHD treatment and MCAW’s personalized program for adolescents suffering with ADHD.
ADHD affects people of all ages, but symptoms often become more noticeable during the teenage years. The increased academic and social demands of adolescence can exacerbate the challenges associated with ADHD, making it crucial to identify and address the disorder as early as possible.
According to a six-year study by the CDC, ADHD is one of the most frequently diagnosed disorders among U.S. adolescents. Recognizing the high prevalence of ADHD in this age group is crucial for implementing timely interventions. By providing appropriate therapies, medication, and lifestyle changes, teenagers with ADHD can be empowered to reach their full potential and excel in various aspects of their lives.2
It’s essential to be aware of the common symptoms of ADHD in teens, which include:
These symptoms can vary in severity and may be more noticeable in certain situations, such as during classroom instruction or when trying to complete a task. Compulsions, including lying, can manifest as symptoms of ADHD in teens. Gain insights into the connection between lying and ADHD in teenagers here.
During adolescence, several factors contribute to the increased visibility and intensity of ADHD symptoms:
1. Hormonal Changes
The hormonal fluctuations associated with puberty can influence the severity of ADHD symptoms. These hormonal shifts can affect mood, focus, and impulsivity, making it harder for teens with ADHD to manage their symptoms effectively. A study shows in boys, excessive testosterone can raise the likelihood of ADHD symptoms by hindering the brain’s dopamine system development and causing it to function unevenly.3
2. Greater Independence
As teenagers gain more independence and autonomy, they are expected to take on additional responsibilities, such as managing their time, organizing their schoolwork, and making decisions about their social lives. These added responsibilities can be particularly challenging for teens with ADHD, who may already struggle with executive functioning skills.
3. Increased Social and Emotional Complexity
The social and emotional landscape of adolescence is more complex than in earlier years. Teens with ADHD may have difficulty navigating the nuances of friendships, romantic relationships, and peer dynamics due to their impulsivity, inattention, and communication challenges.
The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but it is believed to be a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Understanding these contributing elements can help provide a clearer picture of ADHD development in teens.
Research has shown that ADHD tends to run in families, suggesting a vital genetic component. Studies have identified several genes that may contribute to ADHD, with many of them involved in the regulation of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and norepinephrine. This genetic predisposition means that a child with a parent or sibling who has ADHD is more likely to develop the disorder.4
The challenges faced by teens with ADHD can have a substantial effect on their academic achievements, social interactions, and overall quality of life. Without appropriate management, these teenagers may encounter heightened risks, including substance abuse and occupational struggles. Taking this parent test serves as the initial step in understanding your child’s situation and determining if they may require professional assistance.
Massachusetts Center for Adolescent Wellness (MCAW) is dedicated to helping teens with ADHD and their families navigate these challenges with comprehensive and personalized treatment plans. With the right treatment, teens with ADHD can overcome the challenges they face and build a foundation for a successful, fulfilling future.
Melanie Carbonneau is the Clinical Director at Massachusetts Center for Adolescent Wellness and is a licensed counselor and certified music therapist with a Ph.D. from Lesley University. She leads MCAW with a focus on holistic care, emphasizing the importance of family and community involvement in the healing process.
230 Broadway
Suite 201
Lynnfield, MA
01940
Massachusetts Center For Adolescent Wellness
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to