Amid different symptoms, ADD often overlooked in girls by Mary Beth Faller
"What to look for--Symptoms of girls with AD/HD often differ from those of boys. Here are some underlying issues in school-age girls with the disorder:
School phobia or avoidance
Low self-esteem
High IQ and creativity, but low academic performance
Poor organizational skills, messiness
Sleep problems
Shyness
Poor social skills
Disheveled appearance, grooming problems
Withdrawal in the classroom"
"When [girls] get to seventh and eighth grade, things get much worse for them, with the requirements of attention, focus, and homework and changing from class to class. Their grades may plunge," [Simon Epstein] says."
The article goes on to explain that treatment includes counseling for the family and the child, special skills training in peer relationships, dealing with frustrations, and organizational skills. Medication can be provided, if necessary, but a girl's hormonal cycle negatively impacts the effectiveness of medication.
Knowing about the training in organization, relationships, and frustration, is very useful. It supports my view that we need to be providing this type of training to all of our youth. The fact that it is prescribed for AD/HD reinforces my resolve to build learning scenarios that support developing these skills for all students. I am reminded of the Five Essential Skills of Leadership as described by Michael Gerber in The Power Point. The five Essential Skills are concentration, discrimination, organization, innovation, and communication. If you can develop these skills in any student, you can probably help them overcome just about any obstacle including AD/HD.
9:55:27 AM 
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