How Do You Know If You Have ADHD? 10 Ways to Tell

Medically reviewed by Kira Graves, PhD

People with ADHD typically present symptoms either predominantly related to inattention or predominantly associated with hyperactivity. Or, if enough symptoms from both the inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity criteria are present, the ADHD diagnosis is considered a "combined presentation."

The 18-item ADHD Self-Report Scale, also known as the ASRS-v1.1 Symptom Checklist, asks nine screening questions assessing inattention criteria and nine addressing hyperactivity and impulsivity. Self-tests are a worthwhile place to start to determine if you have ADHD, but they cannot give you an official diagnosis.

Read on to learn what you need to know about 10 ways to tell if you have ADHD based on the most common ADHD symptoms, why online ADHD tests are often the first step towards answering the question, "Do I have ADHD?" and how to go about getting an official diagnosis.

3 Types of ADHD

According to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, there are 3 ADHD types, or presentations, which are:

• Predominantly Inattentive Presentation (ADHD-I)

• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation (ADHD-HI)

• Combined Presentation (ADHD-C)

You Fidget

Fidgeting is a core symptom of ADHD. Under the hyperactive-impulsive criteria, the tendency to fidget is marked by tapping hands or feet, squirming in one's seat, or getting up and moving around in situations where remaining seated would be expected. Feeling fidgety is often expressed as restlessness in adults and adolescents over age 17.

You Have Trouble With Organization

Do you have difficulty getting things in order when it's time to do something that requires organizational skills? Under the inattention criteria, regularly having trouble organizing tasks and activities is a sign of ADHD. Diminished organizational skills may be linked to a lack of perseverance and focus.

You’re Often Late

People with ADHD are often forgetful of daily activities and can lose track of time, which leads to tardiness and frequently being late. ADHD is associated with impaired time perception. A 2023 review of a decade's worth of research concluded that in addition to having difficulty with time perception, adults with ADHD also have trouble with time estimation and time management.

Other People Say You’re Forgetful

Do you often misplace or lose things? Do you need to remember where you put items necessary for specific activities or tasks? Do you need help remembering appointments or obligations? Have people started to comment on your forgetfulness? Under the inattention criteria, being forgetful and misplacing or losing everyday objects is a sign of ADHD.

From a scientific perspective, working memory deficits are linked to forgetfulness in ADHD. Cognitive working memory training (CWMT) may have therapeutic benefits.

People Complain That You Don’t Listen

Not listening and talking excessively are both signs of ADHD. One sign of ADHD is not seeming to listen when being spoken to directly. Under the hyperactive/impulsive criteria, excessive talking or blurting out an answer or response before someone else is finished speaking are both signs of ADHD. Slower speech processing is also linked to ADHD. 

You Have Trouble Concentrating

People with ADHD often have difficulty paying close attention to details without getting distracted. How often do you struggle to hold your attention when doing boring or repetitive work? Do you make careless mistakes due to a lack of concentration and getting easily distracted?

Spontaneous mind-wandering and trouble concentrating often cause people with ADHD to get easily distracted and not complete tasks.

You Leave Tasks Unfinished

Do you often fail to finish something you started because you lost focus and got sidetracked? Struggling to wrap up a project's final details and habitually leaving tasks unfinished is a sign of ADHD. Attentional lapses make it especially difficult for people with ADHD to finish lengthy projects or complete tedious tasks.

You Lack Impulse Control

People with ADHD often feel compelled to do interrupt others or enter into other people's conversations without permission. A common sign of impulsivity is having trouble waiting your turn and cutting in line. Under the hyperactive-impulsive criteria, feeling as if you're being driven by a motor that makes you overly active and unable to control impulses is a sign of ADHD.

A lack of impulse control can also make someone more likely to take dangerous risks and act daredevilishly.

You Have Trouble Controlling Your Emotions

Emotion dysregulation, or the inability to control one's emotions, is a core ADHD symptom. People with ADHD often have trouble taking part in quiet leisure activities. Irritability, aggression, uncontrollable anger, emotional outbursts, or temper tantrums may also be signs of ADHD.

You Had Behavioral Issues as a Child

Under the DSM-5 criteria, adults diagnosed with ADHD typically had ADHD-related behavioral issues before the age of 12.

ADHD in Adults: Getting a Diagnosis

For adults who might have ADHD, taking an ADHD test is the first step toward seeking a diagnosis. Online self-tests can shed light on symptoms but can't provide an official diagnosis. To know if you have ADHD for certain, see a healthcare provider or trained mental health professional who can give you an official diagnosis.

The DSM-5 requires at least five inattention symptoms and/or five symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity lasting for a minimum of six months when making a clinical ADHD diagnosis for adults over age 17.

Summary

An ADHD diagnosis is based on the prevalence of certain symptoms relating to each category. For some people with ADHD, paying attention is the most significant problem. For others, sitting still is the predominant symptom. Although self-testing can highlight which ADHD symptoms someone's experiencing, the only way to know for sure if you have ADHD is to consult with a healthcare provider or mental health professional.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.