As we celebrate Women's Health Awareness Month this May, it's the perfect time to shine a light on the often-overlooked aspects of women's mental and cognitive well-being. At Minnesota Neuropsychology, our women-led team is dedicated to empowering women by providing expert evaluations for ADHD, a condition that too often goes undetected in girls and women of all ages. We're passionate about helping women find the clarity and support they deserve, whether they're navigating school, career, motherhood, or life's many transitions.
That commitment is especially vital for women over 50, a group for whom ADHD symptoms are frequently misunderstood or misattributed. In this week’s letter, we explore the unique challenges and transformative impact of midlife ADHD evaluations:
🧠Discovering the Missing Piece: Why ADHD Evaluations Matter for Women 50+
You are not alone. For many women over the age of 50, life’s demands don’t slow down—they shift. Whether you’re managing a career, raising children, caregiving for aging parents, supporting adult children, or rediscovering personal goals, staying focused and organized can be a daily challenge. If you've long struggled with distractions, forgetfulness, impulsivity, or difficulty managing time—but have always been told it’s just “stress” or “anxiety”—there may be an overlooked important factor: undiagnosed ADHD.
The Hidden Face of ADHD in Women
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) often goes undiagnosed in girls and women, particularly those who are intelligent, high-functioning, and outwardly successful. Many of the traditional signs of ADHD—such as hyperactivity or disruptive behavior—are less visible in women. Instead, symptoms may manifest as chronic disorganization, forgetfulness, emotional sensitivity, or trouble following through on tasks.
Unfortunately, this means many women are misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety, or they are prescribed medications that don't address the root of the issue. While depression and anxiety can co-occur with ADHD, treating those symptoms without identifying underlying ADHD can leave women feeling frustrated, misunderstood, and stuck.
Why Now Is the Right Time for an Evaluation
Receiving a neuropsychological evaluation for ADHD can be a powerful and validating experience. For women 50 and older, it’s often a turning point—providing clarity, context, and a compassionate understanding of lifelong patterns. It’s never too late to gain insight into how your brain works and to finally put a name to the struggles you’ve silently managed for decades.
A diagnosis isn’t a label—it’s a roadmap.
What to Expect in an ADHD Evaluation
Our neuropsychological evaluation process is thorough, thoughtful, and tailored specifically to each client. Here’s what it typically includes:
- Clinical interview: to understand your life history, challenges, strengths, and goals.
- Gold-standard questionnaires: research-backed questionnaires to assess symptoms across settings and gather input from multiple perspectives. These validated tools help ensure diagnostic accuracy by capturing the full range of ADHD-related challenges.
- State of the art continuous performance testing: At Minnesota Neuropsychology, we use a cutting-edge Virtual Reality Continuous Performance Test (VR-CPT) as part of our ADHD evaluations. This tool places individuals in a realistic virtual environment to assess attention, impulsivity, and distractibility in real-world conditions. By simulating everyday distractions, the VR-CPT offers a more accurate picture of how ADHD symptoms show up in daily life—especially for women and girls whose challenges may be easily overlooked in traditional testing.
- Mood & Anxiety Screening: We evaluate mood, stress, anxiety, and other factors that may influence functioning.
- Feedback Session: The neuropsychologist will meet with you to discuss the results in plain, accessible language and offer meaningful insights.
- Personalized Recommendations: You’ll leave with a tailored plan that may include strategies, referrals, coaching, or therapy to support your next steps.
Compassionate, Woman-Led Care
Our practice is woman-led and deeply rooted in the mission to support girls and women across the lifespan. We are passionate about helping women who struggle with executive functioning—whether it’s organizing daily tasks, managing time, or juggling responsibilities. We understand how hard it can be to ask for help, and we’re here to guide you with empathy, expertise, and evidence-based tools.
🌟 You Deserve Clarity. You Deserve Support.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Why is this still so hard for me?”—it might be time to get the answers you’ve been seeking.
Reach out to us today to schedule your comprehensive ADHD evaluation. Through our careful and compassionate process, you’ll gain clarity, confidence, and a roadmap forward.
Let’s uncover the full picture—together.
