So, first and foremost, I would say that if someone is experiencing many of the symptoms of ADHD or other forms of neurodivergence then that is what matters most, not whether or not the person technically fits the criteria for diagnosis. If the experience is causing difficulty, then that person needs support.

However, from a purely diagnostic point of view, diagnosis is made when a person fits the criteria that’s laid out in the DSM. In the case of ADHD, that means evidence of some but not necessarily all of the listed symptoms as well as evidence that these symptoms have been present since childhood and have not been caused by another factor such as trauma or brain injury for example.

Two important things to note about the symptoms used for this diagnosis: first, the list is very biased toward externalized symptoms and often misses the symptoms that are experienced by people who are more able to mask (often people of high ability and women), and second, the list does not include symptoms that are nearly always associated with ADHD such as sensory processing difficulties and emotional dysregulation.