In a video published on Instagram on September 14, 2026, Baptiste Carreira Mellier, psychologist and neuropsychologist, from the account @le.neuropsy, recalls an important idea: in certain girls and women, ADHD or autism can be detected late, not because they are absent, but because the signs are less visible, compensated or interpreted differently.
Less noisy signs are not necessarily less important signs
ADHD may be diagnosed later in women when difficulties are “less visible” or compensated for years. This idea is consistent with the recommendations of the High Authority for Health: in children and adolescents, ADHD can be less common among girlsparticularly when inattention dominates and the behaviors are less disruptive to those around them.
In other words, the problem is not always the absence of difficulty, but the manner in which it appears. A girl who daydreams in class, forgets her things, struggles to stay organized, or overcompensates may attract attention less quickly than a very restless or impulsive child. This can contribute to a
later diagnosisespecially if those around you interpret these signs as distraction, stress or a lack of effort.
The le.neuropsy account also mentions anxiety or depression which may be at the forefront. The nuance is essential: these difficulties are not simple “masks” to be swept away. They can attract attention first, delay the identification of ADHD, but also coexist with him and require specific support.
To better distinguish the situations, three notions are useful:
- Under-registration : the signs exist, but are not identified as possibly relating to ADHD or an autism spectrum disorder;
- Underdiagnosis : fewer people concerned actually receive a diagnosis, sometimes due to bias or criteria less suited to certain profiles;
- Late diagnosis : the person ends up being diagnosed, but after years of difficulties, adaptations or wandering.
In adults, these questions can also arise, particularly when the difficulties have long been attributed to personality, perfectionism or emotional fragility. To go deeper, True Medical details the signs of ADHD in adults.
In autism, camouflage may delay identification
For some autistic women, camouflage strategies can make the signs less apparent. The text cites behaviors such as observing others, imitating, controlling one’s reactions or learning to “play the role” expected socially. These strategies are not reserved for women, but they are often described in works on autism in women.
Research published in Autism Research indicate that autistic women receive a diagnosis later on average than men, and that camouflage may contribute to this delay. However, we must remain precise: camouflage is not proof of autism in itself, and all the mechanisms of late diagnosis have not been definitively established.
The risk, in daily life, is that efforts to adapt give the impression of “it’s okay”. A person can manage to hold on in a social, academic or professional setting, while paying a significant cost in fatigue, stress or loss of bearings. Here again, it is not a question of concluding a diagnosis yourself, but of understanding why certain profiles go under the radar.
Stereotypes delay diagnosis in women
Stereotypes also play a role. If we imagine autism only through very visible signs or typical male profiles, certain female experiences can be interpreted differently: social anxiety, great shyness, rigidity, hypersensitivity, discreet isolation. True Medical looks more broadly at the symptoms of autism in adult women and at the issues of identification.
One final point merits caution: the publication mentions hormones and possible variations in ADHD symptoms around the menstrual cycle. Scientific data exists but remains limited. We can speak of a possible path in certain women, not of a general rule or of a mechanism established for all.
When in doubt, the goal is not to self-label from a social media post. If the difficulties lead to suffering, academic, professional, family or social repercussions, the most useful thing is to talk to a health professional trained in these disorders. The HAS points out that the diagnosis of ADHD is based on a clinical evaluation ; a neuropsychological assessment can help in certain cases, but is not sufficient on its own. On the same theme, also read our article on the late diagnosis of autism in women.