Do children outgrow ADHD?

My friend's daughter, now 13, has been diagnosed as the poster child for ADHD. She's described her thoughts as watching a TV with someone else changing the channels uncontrollably. SHe's taking medication for it and everyone else used to say it helps, yet the last time I was over visiting, she hadn't had her pill for the day and was doin fine, but her mom made her take one, and she actually got MORE random and hyper.

Do kids outgrow their ADHD as they get older? I've never heard of an adult with ADHD.. does the brain simply adjust itself as it matures?

No. children usually don't outgrow it. They learn to modify behavior and are more apt coping with it. Adults usually grow out of the hyperactivity but not the attention deficit. These kids are usually highly intelligent and I agree with the reading! My son is ADD and is medicated for it. If anything, the medication teaches him how to cope from learned behavior while on the medication. Only draw backs are he has absolutely no appetitie when taking his meds. I also suffer from it and have been since childhood. I don't take medication but some days, I wonder!

kids can grow out of it and there is adult adhd but, it isn't always there when they are children. it can develop later in life

Hopefully they do outgrow it.

No, most do not outgrow it. You grow out of the hyperactivity, or you display it in different (more socially acceptable) ways but most kids don't outgrow it. Especially if it is severe. I am 25 and have it. I have found ways to cope with it and have 2 bachelor's degrees and a master's. I'd suggest to her parents that they read books and help her develop ways to cope with the symptoms and even use them to her advantage. A very good book is "driven to distraction" by hallowell. It is often difficult to get through a page for me but I couldn't put that book down! It has a lot of good advice.

Also, the first answerer is incorrect. One aspect of an add/adhd diagnosis is the patient has to have displayed symptoms since age 8. Children sometimes outgrow ADD but it doesn't just develop later in life, it continues from childhood. Some of us may be diagnosed later in life but we have definitely had it all along.