Identifying ADHD Impulsivity Symptoms Effectively

Impulsivity is one of the core features of ADHD, especially when diagnosticians are evaluating individuals for ADHD Hyperactive-Impulsive Type and/or ADHD Combined Type (a combination of inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsivity symptoms). I define impulsivity as difficulty pausing long enough to enact intentional behavior (Mutti-Driscoll, 2024). Other interchangeable terms for impulsivity are self-control, impulse control, and self-regulation.

Some girls with impulsivity issues are identified for ADHD earlier than most, since they may look more like the typical male presentation of ADHD. However, even when girls exhibit similar symptoms to boys, they may still be missed for a diagnosis since they are less likely to reveal their symptoms in easily visible settings. For example, while boys’ challenges are more likely to be flagged by teachers in school settings or by parents during sibling squabbles, girls are more likely to have difficulty with self-control in social settings (Mutti-Driscoll, 2024).

Impulsivity can take various forms, some much more subtle than others. For example, impulsivity can look like individuals who struggle with pausing and thinking before speaking with others. It can also look like people who struggle to make good choices about social behavior because they cannot slow down when they feel excited or overwhelmed around others. Still, other ADHDers may fail to follow through on their earlier plans to be productive because at the moment they need to perform, they cannot summon the motivation.

To understand if someone has impulse control issues, it is helpful to look across all settings to see when, where, and how self-control challenges might arise. Issues with impulse control can arise across social, home, activity, school, mealtime, routine settings, and more. In addition, various individual and situational factors can influence impulsivity, including emotionality, fatigue, lack of engagement/focus, and time of day.

To determine if you or someone you care about has issues with impulsivity, consider how easily you or they can stop and reflect on what they are doing and make a choice that aligns with their values. If it is common for the person to have difficulty acting in alignment with how they would like to in particular settings, they may have issues with impulsivity that they can speak with a medical or mental health provider about. Seeking additional consultation may be especially important if the impulsive behavior frequently gets in the way of the person's ability to reach their goals or creates significant obstacles to their well-being.

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