PDT Podcast: Why So Many Mothers Get Late ADHD and Autism Diagnoses

More and more women are getting diagnosed with ADHD later in life, often after becoming parents, and it’s not because ADHD is “trending.” It’s because we’ve missed it for decades.
In this conversation, I talk with psychiatrist and author Dr. Sasha Hamdani about why ADHD in girls and women often goes unnoticed, how hormones and motherhood reveal hidden symptoms, and why self-understanding can be so freeing. We discuss stigma, emotional regulation, anxiety, and how parenting can bring clarity to our own neurodiversity.
If you’ve ever wondered why things got harder after kids, or why your child’s diagnosis suddenly made your own life make more sense, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.
We discuss:
Why ADHD in girls and women often gets overlooked
How hormonal shifts during puberty, postpartum, and perimenopause can unmask ADHD
The difference between anxiety-driven distraction and true ADHD
How parenting adds new executive function challenges that make symptoms more visible
The role of emotional regulation in ADHD—and why it’s missing from the diagnostic criteria
How a late diagnosis can change the way you see yourself and parent your kids

To connect with Dr. Sasha Hamdani follow her on Instagram @thepsychdoctormd and
check out all her resources at https://www.drhamdanimd.com/.
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Keywords: doctor, pediatrician, ADHD in women, Late ADHD diagnosis, Adult ADHD symptoms, ADHD and motherhood, ADHD masking, Neurodiversity and parenting, Hormones and ADHD, ADHD and anxiety connection

Видео PDT Podcast: Why So Many Mothers Get Late ADHD and Autism Diagnoses канала PedsDocTalk