ADHD is ‘neurodevelopmental disorder’, which means that the brains of people with ADHD are a little bit different compared to people who don’t have ADHD.
Some parts of the brains of people with ADHD are different sizes, have less blood flow, are over activated or under activated, or mature at a slower pace when compared to the brains of people who don’t have ADHD. These differences might affect their ability to pay attention or manage their behaviour.
Some people find their symptoms reduce as they get older. This could be because a part of the brain called the ‘prefrontal cortex’ is developing and maturing through childhood and adolescence. The prefrontal cortex plays an important role in being able to focus and moderate your behaviour.
Some people may continue to experience ADHD symptoms as an adult.