3 Types of ADHD Explained: Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined-Type ADHD traits in Adults
- Kaitlyn Boudreault
- Nov 22, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 30
Do you ever lose focus mid-task and wonder where the time went?
Maybe you feel restless, forgetful, or face challenges with focus. These are common ADHD traits in adults that may point to one of the three types of ADHD. Understanding which ADHD type you experience can help with managing your energy, focus, and mental health.
ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental difference, affecting approximately 5% of the world's population. Yet, many people go undiagnosed well into adulthood. Often, their symptoms are mistaken for anxiety, stress, or lack of discipline.
If this resonates with you, working with a neurodiversity-affirming therapist in Ontario, Canada, or an international ADHD coach can help you develop tools that work with your brain, not against it.t.
In this guide, we’ll explore the three types of ADHD, the traits associated with each, and some strategies for navigating the world as a neurodivergent individual.
Criteria for ADHD Diagnosis
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental difference, much like autism and dyslexia. It affects how you navigate the world and manage attention, focus, impulse control, and energy levels.
A trained professional diagnoses ADHD using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). For a diagnosis, traits must:
Clinicians typically gather details from childhood report cards, medical history, and current life experiences. If the criteria for ADHD are met, you’ll be diagnosed as an ADHDer and given a classification based on your type of ADHD.
Prevalence of ADHD
ADHD prevalence varies globally.
As of 2020, the global number of ADHD cases was over 366 million adults.
In Canada, the Centre for ADHD Awareness estimates the following prevalence rates:
4–6% of adults
5–7% of children
Boys and individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, often due to presenting with visible hyperactivity.
In contrast, girls, women, and AFAB individuals are frequently underdiagnosed, as their traits can be less obvious and are often masked until adulthood.
traits of ADHD
Before we dive into the three types, it’s important to recognize that all ADHDers may share overlapping traits. These usually involve inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Common ADHD traits include:
Forgetfulness
Trouble focusing
Restlessness or inability to sit still
Low frustration tolerance
These traits are often invisible to others, particularly if the individual is masking their traits to fit into societal norms.
Types of ADHD
ADHD is classified into three main types:
Primarily inattentive ADHD
Primarily hyperactive-impulsive ADHD
Combined-type ADHD.
Your classification is based on the traits you predominantly display. Your type of ADHD can change throughout the lifespan and based on life circumstances. Let’s explore each type in more detail.
Contrary to the myth about ADHD that ADHD only involves hyperactivity, primarily inattentive ADHD is common, particularly in adults and women.
To receive a diagnosis, you must exhibit six (or five traits in adults) of the following traits:
Low attention span: Staying focused on the task at hand can be a particular challenge. Lectures, work tasks, or long reading passages can feel exhausting. This is especially true for mundane tasks. You may zone out, become stressed, or get bored easily.
Making careless mistakes: Attention to detail is lacking. You may rush to get tasks done quickly, which can result in making thoughtless mistakes.
Trouble following instructions: May begin a task without listening to the instructions. Sometimes, you’ll skip steps or quit because the task requires too much attention to the instructions.
Daydreaming or getting distracted easily: You may get sidetracked by other events in your environment, regardless of how much attention you try to pay to the current task.
Task avoidance for tasks that require continuous focus: procrastination is a common problem. You may find yourself avoiding tasks, especially if they are boring.
Frequently losing things: your brain has a difficult time maintaining a log of where you placed things. This results in frequently losing things that you may need. For children, it could be schoolwork. For adults, it may be your phone, computer, or glasses.
Trouble listening when spoken to: You may zone out or daydream when someone is speaking to you because you may find it difficult to pay attention to the words they are saying. This is especially true if what they are saying is boring.
Disorganization: Keeping your work, home, or school tasks in order can be a real challenge. Deadlines are often kept out of sequence.
Forgetfulness: everyday tasks such as chores, paying bills, personal hygiene, and making sure appointments are set often get forgotten by the ADHD mind.
People with inattentive ADHD may have been misunderstood as lazy before receiving an official diagnosis. Getting this diagnosis can open the door to self-acceptance.
This is the type most people associate with ADHD because it involves impulsive and hyperactive behaviours. Those with hyperactive-impulsive ADHD often struggle with sitting still, waiting their turn, or controlling their impulses. Common traits include:
Frequent fidgeting: You may tap your feet or mindlessly doodle.
Being on the go or in constant motion: You seem to be driven by a motor. You are always moving.
Recklessness: you can't sit in one place or find time to relax. You feel this urge that you need to be doing more.
Talking too much: you can’t seem to stop talking, especially if it revolves around a topic of interest. You may also interrupt someone when they are talking and blurt out the answer.
Inability to stay quiet: Engaging in tasks quietly is a challenge. If there is too much quiet within a room where you are engaging in an activity, you need some music or noise.
Can’t sit still: this may involve frequently getting out of your seat and walking around the room multiple times.
Trouble waiting their turn: A person may have trouble waiting in a line or sharing their toys with other people.
Interrupting people when they are people: waiting your turn during a conversation is a challenge. You may interrupt a conversation to share your points or intrude on the conversation of another person.
Blurting out answers: Urgency may be seen by ADHDers during a mundane conversation. As a result, you may frequently blurt out answers to what you see as urgent.
Primarily, impulsive-hyperactive ADHD can be diagnosed at any age, but it's more often recognized in children.
It’s common to have a mixture of inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive traits.
When someone exhibits both inattention and hyperactive-impulsive traits, they are diagnosed with combined-type ADHD.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to ADHD. Virtual neurodiversity-affirming therapy or coaching celebrates your differences and helps you build strategies that work with your brain, not against it.
Unlike traditional approaches that focus on “fixing” symptoms, affirming care emphasizes:
Strengths-based planning
Environmental adjustments
Emotional validation
Collaborative goal-setting
ADHD Strengths
While ADHD presents many challenges, it also brings unique strengths that you can embrace in therapy. Some of these strengths include:
Strong conversationalist: ADHDers, especially those with inattentive traits, are engaging conversationalists, often excelling in dynamic, interesting conversations.
Creativity: ADHDers are often highly creative, finding innovative ways to navigate a world not built for neurodivergent minds.
Adaptability: The impulsive nature of ADHD can be an asset when quick changes are necessary, allowing for flexible problem-solving in fast-paced situations.
ADHD Strategies
Managing ADHD traits requires personalized strategies. Some common techniques include:
Use a wall calendar to stay organized.
Try the Pomodoro technique (work in focused intervals with breaks).
Designate specific areas for important items.
Set alarms on your phone for reminders.
Use noise-cancelling headphones or pink/brown noise machines.
Spend time unmasked to reduce mental fatigue.
Ask for accommodations, as ADHD could be considered a disability.
Book a Free Consultation with Blue Sky LEarning
If you suspect you have ADHD or would benefit from neurodiversity-affirming therapy or coaching, you could start your journey today.
Book a 20-minute free consultation with a neurodiversity-affirming therapist or coach from Blue Sky Learning by emailing hello@blueskylearning.ca, calling (437) 291-8807, or booking through the website below.
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