The Invisible Struggle: Why ADHD Looks Different in Girls and Women

Join psychotherapist and PhD researcher Karla Pretorius for this bonus conversation about why ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence are so often missed in girls and women. Drawing from both her doctoral research on managing anxiety and enhancing confidence in ADHD women and her own lived experience—diagnosed 28 years after her brother despite both having ADHD—Karla reveals the some of the differences in how neurodivergence presents across genders.

In this candid bonus session, Karla explores the realities of masking and camouflaging that allow girls to "pass" standard assessments while struggling internally with anxiety, rejection sensitivity, and the exhausting work of appearing "fine." She shares why clinical screenings often fail to capture the full picture, what parents need to know when advocating for their daughters, and how understanding goes deeper than diagnosis.

You'll discover why traditional testing questions miss the mark, how to look beneath surface behaviors to understand what's really happening, and practical ways to support neurodivergent girls—whether or not they have a formal diagnosis. Karla offers hope for parents navigating broken systems while celebrating the unique strengths that come with different neurotypes, from hyper-fixation to innovative thinking.