ADHD
ADHD in Children and Adults — Dr. Prerna Kohli
Practical, evidence-informed support for ADHD across the lifespan — understanding it, managing it, and building the skills and routines that make daily life easier. For children, teenagers, and adults, in-clinic in Gurgaon (Gurugram) and online worldwide.
- PhD, Aligarh Muslim University
- 30+ years in practice
- Children, teens & adults
- In-clinic & online
Quick answer
ADHD support with Dr. Prerna Kohli
Written and reviewed by Dr. Prerna Kohli, Clinical Psychologist (PhD, Aligarh Muslim University) · Last reviewed July 2026
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a common, well-understood neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, impulse control, and activity levels — in children and, often overlooked, in adults. Dr. Prerna Kohli is a clinical psychologist in Gurgaon (Gurugram) with more than 30 years of experience, offering psychological assessment, therapy, and practical coping and executive-function strategies for children, teenagers, and adults with ADHD, plus guidance for parents. Where medication may be part of the picture, she coordinates with a psychiatrist so care stays joined up. Sessions are in-clinic or online, in English or Hindi. Book on +91 98118 62338 (also WhatsApp).
- Who it's for
- Children, teenagers & adults
- Support offered
- Assessment, therapy, coping skills, parent guidance
- Approach
- Evidence-informed, non-judgemental
- Modes
- In-clinic Gurugram · Online worldwide
- Languages
- English & Hindi
- Book
- +91 98118 62338 · WhatsApp
Understanding ADHD
ADHD is real, common, and manageable
ADHD is not a matter of laziness, poor parenting, or a lack of willpower. It is a recognised neurodevelopmental difference in how the brain manages attention, impulses, and activity — and it is one of the most common and most treatable conditions of childhood, which frequently continues into adult life.
People with ADHD often have real strengths — creativity, energy, the ability to hyperfocus on things that interest them — alongside genuine difficulties with attention, organisation, restlessness, or impulsivity. The goal of support is not to "fix" a personality, but to understand how an individual's mind works and build the routines, skills, and strategies that let those strengths come through and the difficulties get in the way less.
Around 3.1% of adults worldwide live with ADHD, and roughly 5–7% of children — making it one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions. The inattentive type is the most frequent, and also the most easily missed, especially in girls and in adults who were never assessed as children.
Sources: umbrella review of global adult ADHD prevalence (Psychiatry Research, 2023, 21M+ participants); systematic review of childhood prevalence (Thomas et al., Pediatrics, 2015).Wondering whether what you're seeing is ADHD or something else? A psychological assessment is the clearest first step — book a session to talk it through.
Signs in children & teenagers
How ADHD shows up in children
ADHD in children usually appears as a persistent pattern across settings — home and school — rather than the occasional restless day every child has. It tends to show up in two overlapping ways.
Inattentive signs
- Easily distracted; trouble sustaining attention
- Careless mistakes; missing details
- Struggles to follow instructions or finish tasks
- Loses or forgets things often
- Avoids tasks needing sustained mental effort
- Seems to "not listen" even when spoken to directly
Hyperactive-impulsive signs
- Fidgeting, squirming, or can't stay seated
- Always "on the go," restless
- Talks excessively; blurts out answers
- Difficulty waiting for a turn
- Interrupts or intrudes on others
- Acts before thinking about consequences
Concerned about school performance? Read why a child may be struggling in school and about learning disabilities in children, which can look similar and sometimes co-occur.
Signs in adults
Adult ADHD — often missed for decades
Many adults have ADHD without ever having been diagnosed, because they were never assessed as children or learned to mask their difficulties. In adults, the hyperactivity often becomes quieter — more inner restlessness than visible fidgeting — while the attention and organisation struggles remain.
Common adult signs
- Chronic disorganisation and lateness
- Trouble starting or finishing tasks
- Difficulty focusing — unless intensely interested
- Forgetfulness; losing track of things
- Restlessness or feeling "driven by a motor"
- Impulsive decisions, spending, or speech
How it often feels
- Underachieving relative to your ability
- Exhausted from "holding it together"
- Struggling with deadlines and admin
- Relationship or work friction from follow-through
- Low self-esteem after years of being told to "try harder"
- Anxiety or low mood layered on top
Adult ADHD frequently sits alongside anxiety or low mood. If worry is part of your picture, see anxiety counselling too — treating both together works best.
ADHD in women & girls
Why ADHD is so often missed in girls and women
For decades, ADHD was thought of as a condition of restless boys — and girls were quietly overlooked. Many women reach adulthood, or even midlife, before anyone recognises what they've been struggling with all along.
Girls and women more often have the inattentive presentation, without the obvious hyperactivity that gets a child noticed. Instead of disrupting the classroom, they tend to daydream, lose focus quietly, over-prepare to keep up, and internalise the struggle — often becoming anxious, perfectionistic, or hard on themselves rather than visibly "difficult." Many become skilled at masking, which hides the difficulty but is exhausting to maintain.
How it can look in girls & women
- Quiet inattention and daydreaming, not disruption
- Perfectionism and over-preparation to compensate
- Anxiety or low mood that masks the underlying ADHD
- Feeling overwhelmed by everyday organisation
- Emotional sensitivity and being "too much" or "too sensitive"
- Exhaustion from masking to appear on top of things
Why it gets missed
- Old assumption that ADHD is a "boys' condition"
- Symptoms mistaken for anxiety, mood, or personality
- Masking hides the difficulty from teachers and family
- Hormonal changes (puberty, cycles, pregnancy, menopause) can shift symptoms
- Being bright enough to cope — until life demands outgrow the coping
If you've spent years feeling you're falling short despite trying hard, an assessment can be genuinely clarifying. Book a session to talk it through.
Types of ADHD
The three presentations of ADHD
ADHD isn't one single picture. It's usually described as one of three presentations, and a person's presentation can shift over time.
Predominantly inattentive
Attention, focus, and organisation are the main struggles, with little visible hyperactivity. The most common presentation — and the most missed, especially in girls and adults.
Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive
Restlessness, impulsivity, and difficulty sitting still dominate, with fewer attention problems. More often noticed early because it's more visible.
Combined presentation
A mix of significant inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive difficulties — the presentation many people picture when they think of ADHD.
The executive-function connection
ADHD is really a challenge with executive function
Much of what looks like "not trying" in ADHD is actually difficulty with executive function — the set of mental skills the brain uses to plan, start, organise, and follow through. Understanding this reframes ADHD from a character flaw to a skills gap that can be supported.
Executive skills often affected
- Task initiation — starting, even on important things
- Working memory — holding information in mind
- Planning & prioritising — breaking big tasks down
- Time management — sensing and using time ("time blindness")
- Organisation — of tasks, belongings, and thoughts
- Emotional regulation — managing frustration and impulses
How support helps
- Externalising memory — systems, reminders, checklists
- Breaking tasks into small, startable steps
- Building routines that reduce reliance on willpower
- Tools for time awareness and follow-through
- Strategies to steady emotional reactions
- Working with the ADHD brain, not against it
This is where psychological support makes a practical, everyday difference: not by asking someone to "focus harder," but by building the external structures and skills that take pressure off the executive functions that ADHD makes harder.
How Dr. Kohli helps
Practical support for living well with ADHD
Dr. Kohli's role as a clinical psychologist is to understand each person's specific difficulties and build practical strategies around them — for the child, the teenager, the adult, and the family.
Support typically includes psychological assessment to understand attention, learning, and emotional patterns; therapy to address the anxiety, low self-esteem, or frustration that so often build up around ADHD; and concrete executive-function strategies — for organisation, routines, focus, and managing impulsivity — that fit real life. For children, this usually includes coaching and guidance for parents, since the right support at home and school makes an enormous difference.
As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Kohli does not prescribe medication. Where medication may be helpful — and for many people with ADHD it is one useful part of a plan — she works alongside a psychiatrist who can assess and prescribe, so the psychological and medical sides of care stay coordinated. The aim throughout is a plan built around the individual, not a one-size-fits-all label.
Related & often confused
ADHD, or something else?
Several conditions can look like ADHD, overlap with it, or occur alongside it. Getting the distinction right matters, because the support differs.
ADHD & anxiety
Anxiety can cause restlessness and poor concentration that mimic ADHD — and the two frequently co-occur. Assessment helps tell them apart and treat both.
Anxiety counselling →ADHD & autism
ADHD and autism can share features and often co-occur, but they are distinct. Understanding which is present — or both — shapes the right support.
Understanding autism →ADHD & learning difficulties
A child struggling at school may have ADHD, a specific learning disability, or both. Careful assessment prevents the wrong conclusion.
Learning disabilities in children →Myth vs fact
Clearing up common myths about ADHD
ADHD is one of the most misunderstood conditions, and the myths cause real harm — delaying support and adding shame. Here's what the evidence actually says.
ADHD isn't real — it's just bad behaviour or poor parenting.
ADHD is a well-established neurodevelopmental condition with a strong biological and genetic basis, recognised by every major medical body. It has nothing to do with parenting quality or character.
Only hyperactive boys have ADHD.
ADHD affects all genders and ages. Girls and women, and people with the inattentive type, are frequently overlooked because they don't fit the "restless boy" stereotype.
Children grow out of ADHD.
Many people continue to have ADHD as adults. The visible hyperactivity often fades, but the attention and organisation difficulties commonly remain into adult life.
If you can focus on things you enjoy, you can't have ADHD.
Intense focus on engaging tasks ("hyperfocus") is actually common in ADHD. The difficulty is with regulating attention on demand — not a total inability to concentrate.
ADHD just means you need to try harder.
ADHD is a difference in executive function, not effort. "Try harder" is exactly the advice that leaves people exhausted and demoralised; the right support builds skills and systems instead.
Medication is the only option.
Psychological support, therapy, and executive-function strategies help many people significantly. Medication is one option some choose — decided with a psychiatrist — not the only path.
What to expect
Your first session, step by step
Whether it's for your child, your teenager, or yourself, here's how it begins.
You reach out
Book through the website or message the clinic on WhatsApp. You'll be offered a time that fits, in-clinic or online.
Understanding the picture
The first session is about understanding the difficulties in detail — at home, at school, or at work — and how long they've been present.
Assessment where needed
Dr. Kohli advises on whether a structured psychological assessment would help, and coordinates with a psychiatrist if a medical view is relevant.
A practical plan
Together you'll shape a realistic plan — strategies, therapy, parent guidance, and next steps — built around the individual.
Read more about children's mental health, parental counselling, and managing procrastination (a common adult-ADHD struggle).
Ready to understand what's really going on? Book a session with Dr. Kohli — in Gurugram or online, wherever you are.
About Dr. Prerna Kohli
Dr. Prerna Kohli is one of India's foremost clinical psychologists, with over 30 years of experience across child, adolescent, and adult psychology. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Aligarh Muslim University, is a four-time gold medalist, and is a recipient of the "100 Women Achievers of India" award from the President of India. A TEDx speaker and published author, she works through evidence-informed assessment and therapy; where medication may help, a psychiatrist within the practice can assess and prescribe.
- PhD, M.Phil & MA in Clinical Psychology — Aligarh Muslim University
- 30+ years across child, teen & adult psychology
- TEDx speaker · published author
- "100 Women Achievers of India" — President of India
- Featured on Sansad TV & in national media
Questions, answered
ADHD FAQs
Can a psychologist diagnose and treat ADHD?
A clinical psychologist can carry out psychological assessment, identify ADHD patterns, and provide therapy and practical strategies. A formal diagnosis often involves a comprehensive assessment and, where medication is considered, a psychiatrist. Dr. Kohli assesses, provides psychological support, and coordinates with a psychiatrist when a medical view or medication is relevant — so you get joined-up care.
Can ADHD be treated without medication?
Yes — psychological support, therapy, executive-function strategies, and (for children) parent coaching help many people manage ADHD well. For some, medication adds real benefit as one part of a plan; that's a decision made with a psychiatrist. There's no single right answer — the approach is tailored to the individual, and you're never pushed toward medication.
Can adults have ADHD if they were never diagnosed as children?
Yes. Many adults have had ADHD all along but were never assessed — often because they were bright enough to compensate, or because the inattentive type is easy to miss. ADHD usually begins in childhood, but it's frequently first recognised in adulthood, when work and life demands outgrow the person's coping strategies.
Is my child's behaviour ADHD, or just being a child?
All children are sometimes restless, distracted, or impulsive. ADHD is suspected when the pattern is persistent, more intense than in peers of the same age, present across settings (home and school), and getting in the way of learning, relationships, or daily life. A psychological assessment is the reliable way to tell the difference — guesswork isn't.
What's the difference between ADHD and anxiety?
Anxiety can cause restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems that resemble ADHD, but it's driven by worry and anticipated threat. ADHD is a lifelong pattern of attention and impulse-regulation difficulty. The two often co-occur, which is why careful assessment matters — treating only one when both are present leaves people stuck.
Do you offer online sessions for ADHD?
Yes. Dr. Kohli consults online with children (with a parent), teenagers, and adults across India and internationally, in English or Hindi. Online sessions work well for ADHD support, coping strategies, parent guidance, and therapy.
How do I book an ADHD consultation?
You can book directly through the website or by calling or messaging the clinic on +91 98118 62338, which is also on WhatsApp. New clients — children, teenagers, and adults — are welcome for both in-clinic and online sessions.
Related reading
Guides on ADHD & related concerns
- Learning disabilities in children
- Why your child is struggling in school
- Understanding autism spectrum disorder
- How to stop procrastinating
- Children's mental health: what parents should know
- Understanding and supporting a shy child
- How to help your child become a better learner
- Building your child's emotional intelligence
Understanding ADHD changes everything.
Whether it's for your child, your teenager, or yourself, the right support makes daily life work better. Book a session with Dr. Kohli — in Gurugram or online, wherever you are.