Types of ADHD 

If you’re here, you may be wondering: Are there different types of ADHD? The answer is yes.

ADHD is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition, which means it doesn’t look the same in everyone. Rather, ADHD exists on a spectrum, varying in both severity and how symptoms appear. For some, it shows up as constant movement and bursts of energy. For others, it may look like quiet distraction or difficulty staying organised.

Recognising these differences helps reduce misconceptions and makes it easier to provide meaningful support. In this guide, we’ll explore the three clinically recognised presentations of ADHD: Hyperactive-Impulsive, Inattentive, and Combined. We’ll also look at how they are diagnosed, treated, and experienced in everyday life.

Understanding The Three Types of ADHD 

When most people picture ADHD, they think of a single presentation, usually the image of a hyperactive child who can’t sit still. In reality, ADHD can take different forms, which is why clinicians recognise three distinct types: hyperactive-impulsive, inattentive, and combined.

These categories don’t capture every nuance, but they do provide a useful framework for understanding why ADHD looks very different from person to person. With that foundation in mind, let’s look more closely at each type.

Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD

The hyperactive-impulsive type is what many people picture when they think of ADHD. Constant fidgeting, fast-talking, risk-taking, and difficulty staying seated or waiting in line. But this surface-level understanding often obscures the lived reality.

For children, it may look like bouncing off walls. For adults, it often feels like a constant internal motor: restlessness, impatience, and a need for stimulation.

Core Symptoms of Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD

• Frequent fidgeting, tapping, or getting up from seats

• Talking excessively, interrupting others, or blurting out responses

• Struggling to wait in lines or sit through meetings

• Interrupting or intruding on others

• Often “on the go” or “driven by a motor”

While hyperactivity tends to decrease with age, impulsivity often lingers. This can affect relationships, financial decisions, and emotional regulation well into adulthood.

The Lived Experience of Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD

For many, sitting still isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s distressing. Children may run, climb, or constantly move their bodies. Adults often channel the same restlessness into smaller outlets: pen clicking, leg bouncing, or feeling an unrelenting hum of internal energy, even when externally still.

Speech often feels urgent. Thoughts come quickly and feel fleeting, leading to interruptions or blurting out words before the filter kicks in. It’s rarely about rudeness, it’s the pressure of trying to capture an idea before it disappears. Yet these behaviours can easily be misunderstood. Frequent interruptions or cutting across others may be read as impatience or disrespect, which can strain friendships, test workplace dynamics, and leave the individual feeling misunderstood or rejected.

Impulsivity adds another layer. It might mean firing off an angry email, making a sudden big purchase, or changing direction in life without warning. In childhood, it might look like grabbing toys or pushing ahead in line. While the regret is often immediate, stopping the cycle can feel almost impossible. Over time, this pattern can lead to financial strain, fractured relationships, or feelings of shame about not being able to “just think before acting.”

Even waiting can feel unbearable. The brain resists delayed gratification, making lines, meetings, or pauses in conversation an almost physical discomfort. What others see as impatience or entitlement is, for the person with ADHD, a deep struggle with holding still and tolerating any delay.

Recognition and Diagnosis

Because hyperactive and impulsive symptoms are externalising behaviours, this presentation is often the most easily identified and diagnosed, particularly in childhood. Teachers, parents, and clinicians are more likely to notice behaviours such as fidgeting, blurting, and restlessness than the quieter signs of inattention.

Inattentive Type ADHD 

The inattentive presentation of ADHD is characterised primarily by difficulties with sustained attention, organisation, and task completion, with minimal hyperactive or impulsive behaviours. This presentation was historically referred to as "ADD" (Attention Deficit Disorder) to distinguish it from hyperactive presentations.

Core Symptoms of Inattentive ADHD

Individuals with inattentive ADHD typically exhibit following symptoms across various life domains:

• Frequent failure to give close attention to details or making careless mistakes in work or activities

• Difficulty sustaining attention during tasks or play activities

• Appearing not to listen when spoken to directly

• Difficulty organising tasks and activities

• Avoiding or reluctantly engaging in tasks requiring sustained mental effort

• Frequently losing things necessary for tasks or activities

• Being easily distracted by external stimuli or unrelated thoughts

• Forgetfulness in daily activities

The Lived Experience of Inattentive ADHD

Those with predominantly inattentive ADHD often move through the world with a dreamy quality that can be easily misunderstood. These individuals may appear lost in thought, their minds drawn to internal landscapes rich with creativity and possibility. Yet this same beautiful mental fluidity can make it challenging to anchor attention to tasks that feel tedious or overwhelming. They are often quiet, their calm exterior betraying no hint of the mental chaos within

If you have this type of ADHD, you may want to focus on what someone's saying, but your attention drifts to that interesting pattern on their shirt. Then you remember you need to call your dentist. By the time you tune back in, you've missed something important.

Starting tasks feels overwhelming because your brain just struggles to figure out where to begin. You sit at your desk for an hour, wanting to work on that project, but feeling paralysed by all the steps. When you finally start, you might hyperfocus so intensely you forget to eat, drink or move.

You lose things constantly. Keys, important documents, your phone. You set something down while thinking about something else, and it's like the action never registered in your brain.

Time feels slippery. You think something will take 20 minutes and suddenly it's been two hours. Or you avoid starting because it feels enormous, when it might actually take five minutes. You're often running late despite your best intentions.

Recognition and Diagnosis

This inattentive presentation is often underdiagnosed, particularly in females, because the symptoms are less disruptive than hyperactive behaviours. Many individuals with inattentive ADHD are perceived as lazy, daydreamers or  underachievers rather than having a neurodevelopmental disorder requiring support.

Combined Type ADHD 

Combined presentation ADHD involves meeting criteria for both inattentive symptoms (six or more) and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms (six or more). This is the most prevalent form of ADHD, affecting approximately 60% of individuals with the condition.

Individuals with combined presentation experience the full range of ADHD symptoms, which can create complex challenges in multiple life domains. They may struggle with attention regulation while also managing high activity levels and impulse control difficulties.

The Lived Experience of Combined Type ADHD

For individuals with Combined Type ADHD, the daily experience can feel like living with a brain that’s both scattered and racing — a constant tug-of-war between inattention and hyperactivity. It’s not simply a matter of being forgetful or energetic. One moment they may be stuck in a fog, struggling to start even the simplest task; the next, they’re impulsively diving into a new idea or interrupting mid-conversation out of sheer enthusiasm.

Time management can be elusive, attention flickers, and emotional responses may feel disproportionate to events. Even with strong intentions and effort, the day often ends with a sense of having let something (or someone) down — not from lack of care, but from sheer executive overload.

But alongside the challenges, many people with Combined Type ADHD also describe a rich, fast-moving inner world: intensely creative, intuitive, and passion-driven. When they find environments that play to their strengths, flexibility, novelty, purpose , they can thrive.

Still, the lived experience is often marked by exhaustion from masking symptoms, self-criticism, and feeling misunderstood by those who mistake inconsistency for apathy. Understanding this nuanced reality is critical — not only for effective support but also for breaking down the shame many people with ADHD silently carry.

Recognition and Diagnosis

Because Combined Type ADHD involves both internal and external symptoms, its challenges are often more visible and so is the judgment. The external perception of this presentation often aligns with the stereotypical image of ADHD: disruptive, disorganised, and “too much.”

While this visibility can sometimes lead to earlier diagnosis, especially in childhood, it also exposes individuals to frequent corrections and punishment. Behaviours like fidgeting, interrupting, or zoning out are often misread as laziness, defiance, or poor discipline, rather than recognised as signs and symptoms of a neurodevelopmental condition.

Over time, this can fuel a painful internal narrative of shame and inadequacy — one that many carry well into adulthood.

How Are the Types of ADHD Diagnosed?

The diagnosis of ADHD, including its three presentations (Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined), is not based on brain scans or imaging. While research has identified some population-level neuroanatomical and neurobiological correlates of ADHD — such as differences in brain activity and connectivity — there are no definitive anatomical markers that can be used for diagnosis at an individual level.

Instead, ADHD is diagnosed through a comprehensive clinical assessment that aims to build a detailed picture of the individual’s symptoms, developmental history, and the functional impact of these symptoms across various domains of life.

Clinical diagnosis is guided by the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). To meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD, an individual must demonstrate a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is inconsistent with their developmental level and causes clinically significant impairment in daily functioning.

For adults (aged 17 and older), at least five symptoms must be present from one or both symptom categories (inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity), and these symptoms must have:

• Persisted for at least six months

• Been present before the age of 12

• Occurred in two or more settings (e.g. work, home, school, or social environments)

• Interfered with social, academic, or occupational functioning

Clinicians typically gather this information through structured interviews, symptom checklists, validated rating scales, collateral history (such as reports from parents, teachers, or partners), and, where appropriate, psychological testing.

Importantly, ADHD is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that other medical, psychiatric, or contextual explanations for the symptoms must be considered and ruled out.

Treatment Options for ADHD

There is no single treatment for ADHD that works for everyone. Instead, effective management typically involves a multimodal approach,  combining medication, psychological strategies, behavioural supports, and environmental adjustments tailored to the individual’s needs, age, goals, and co-occurring conditions.

1. Medication

Medication is often the first-line treatment for moderate to severe ADHD, especially in adults. Two main types of medications are approved:

• Stimulants: These include methylphenidate (e.g. Ritalin, Concerta) and amphetamine-based medications (e.g. dexamfetamine, Vyvanse). Stimulants increase the availability of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, which improves attention, focus, and impulse control. They are the most extensively studied and effective ADHD medications, with rapid onset of action.

• Non-stimulants: These include atomoxetine (Strattera), guanfacine (Intuniv), and clonidine. Non-stimulants may be preferred if stimulants cause side effects, are contraindicated, or if the individual has co-existing conditions such as heart conditions, anxiety, sleep problems, or a history of substance use.

Medication is not a cure, but it can significantly reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. Importantly, treatment decisions should be individualised and closely monitored by a prescribing clinician, ideally with regular follow-up and adjustment.

2. Psychological Interventions

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a common non-medication treatment, particularly helpful for adults with ADHD. It targets unhelpful thinking patterns and teaches practical strategies for managing time, regulating emotions, setting goals, and improving self-esteem.

Psychoeducation — understanding how ADHD affects the brain, behaviour, and emotions — is foundational. It helps individuals (and their families or partners) build insight, reduce shame, and develop more adaptive coping tools.

3. Coaching and Skills Training

ADHD coaching and executive function skills training can help individuals develop practical tools to manage everyday tasks, from breaking down complex goals into manageable steps to building systems for remembering appointments or organising routines. While not a replacement for therapy, these strategies can be highly effective when used in tandem with other supports.

4. Lifestyle and Environmental Supports

Sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and stress management play critical roles in symptom regulation. Even small adjustments, such as building consistent sleep routines, reducing task overwhelm, or using body-doubling (working alongside someone for accountability),  can have meaningful impact.

Workplaces, schools, and families can also support better outcomes by providing structure, clarity, and flexibility. This may include deadline reminders, quiet workspaces, reduced task-switching, or compassionate communication strategies.

5. Treating Co-occurring Conditions

Many people with ADHD also experience co-existing mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression. These should be identified and addressed as part of a holistic treatment plan. In some cases, treatment for these conditions may need to be prioritised before ADHD can be fully addressed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the type of ADHD change over time?

Yes. ADHD symptoms often change with age, and this can lead to a shift in presentation type. For example, someone diagnosed with Combined Presentation in childhood may experience fewer hyperactive symptoms as an adult and instead meet criteria for the Inattentive type. These changes are common and reflect how ADHD interacts with brain development, life stage, and environment.

Is one type of ADHD more severe than the others?

No. None of the ADHD types is more severe than the others, Severity depends on how much the symptoms interfere with daily life. Someone with predominantly inattentive symptoms may experience just as much difficulty as someone with hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, even if their struggles are less visible.

How can I find out which type of ADHD I have?

Through comprehensive assessment undertaken by a qualified healthcare professional. This typically involves a comprehensive assessment of your symptoms, developmental history, and how those symptoms show up across different areas of life, such as work, school, or home.

Does ADHD look different in adults compared to children?

Yes. While children often show more outward signs of hyperactivity, such as fidgeting, climbing, or difficulty sitting still, adults tend to experience internal restlessness, emotional dysregulation, and challenges with focus, time management, and organisation. ADHD in adults is often less visible but can still significantly impact daily functioning.

I read there are seven types of ADHD, is that true?

No, not according to official diagnostic guidelines. The DSM-5-TR, which is the standard diagnostic manual used by clinicians, recognises three presentations of ADHD:

• Predominantly Inattentive

• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive

• Combined Presentation

The idea of "seven types of ADHD" often comes from alternative frameworks, such as those proposed by Dr. Daniel Amen, who used brain imaging to suggest subtypes based on activity patterns. While this model has gained attention online, it is not supported by mainstream scientific consensus and is not used in formal diagnosis or treatment planning. If you're unsure about what type of ADHD you may have, it's best to speak with a qualified clinician who can guide you based on current evidence-based guidelines.

The Path Forward: Embracing Your ADHD Journey 

ADHD doesn’t follow a single script. While some people struggle with focus, others wrestle with restlessness or impulsivity. Many experience a complex mix that shifts over time and across contexts. These differences aren’t always visible, but they are deeply real. Recognising that ADHD can manifest in different ways helps move us beyond stereotypes and toward genuine understanding.

It’s important that we harness this understanding for something better. When we make space for diverse experiences and support each person’s unique needs, we create environments where people with ADHD, are able to thrive. That kind of understanding is where real change begins.

For many, living with ADHD is a journey of resilience. Navigating a world that isn’t built for your brain can be exhausting, but it can also foster creativity, empathy, and strength.

At Kantoko, we believe your symptoms can be understood, supported, and even transformed into strengths that enhance your quality of life. Gaining clarity about how ADHD shows up for you, and recognising your specific presentation, is a powerful first step towards effective

Ready to take that step? Get started with us today.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment options.