Final answer:
Adults with ADHD may exhibit different symptoms compared to children, including challenges with organization, time management, and achieving long-term goals, and are at a higher risk for developing comorbid conditions such as depression or OCD.
Step-by-step explanation:
One big difference in adults and children with ADHD is how the disorder manifests and affects individuals' lives.
While school-aged children with ADHD often experience educational and behavioral issues, adults may face challenges in the workplace, college, and family life.
This shift in manifestation may include a change in symptom expression. For instance, hyperactivity often observed in children might be less pronounced in adults, who are more likely to exhibit restlessness.
Additionally, adults with ADHD are more likely to struggle with time management, organizational skills, and maintaining long-term goals.
Comorbidity is also common in individuals with ADHD, where secondary disorders like depression or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can develop alongside ADHD.
Despite these differences, medication remains a common treatment for both children and adults with ADHD.
However, societal debate continues regarding potential overprescription.
The understanding and treatment of ADHD have evolved, acknowledging that ADHD is not only a childhood disorder and that people do not simply 'grow out of it'.
Educators, healthcare providers, and the public are becoming more aware that ADHD is a lifelong condition that requires continuous support and management.