The first large scale study on girls with AD/HD was published at the end of 1999 and the results were not very encouraging. Girls were doing far worse than their male counterparts in a few areas. They were having significant social problems, academic problems and were even more likely to be addicted to substances (such as tobacco) than boys were. There are a few reasons why girls may be doing worse than boys are. One is that girls are not diagnosed on a par with boys. The second reason is that much of female communication relies on creating rapport which depends on having good listening skills, cooperating, and solving problems well. All of these behaviors are more difficult for anyone with AD/HD. Maccoby described the differences between how boys and girls play back in 1993. Boys often play more games or team sports which defined rules. She found that boys often worked out conflicts so that they could continue to play their games. Girls, on the other hand, tended to play in smaller groups and their play was based more on cooperation; conflicts often ended their play. Many girls with AD/HD are less cooperative and may have more trouble with conflict resolution than their peers do. It is no wonder they may have more social problems. Some problem areas for girls include:
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