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Autism and ADHD

Deleted User

Hi everyone

I’ve been off my meds for nearly a month now, for the first time since I had my autism diagnosis, and am in the process of getting to know myself again.

Part of that has been to revisit the possibility that I have ADHD, or more specifically ADD, as well. There are many symptoms common to both ADHD and autism though so it’s difficult to tease them apart.

I know there are quite a few AuDHD people on this forum though. So can any of you describe the difference in experience, symptoms and behaviours between “vanilla” autism and AuDHD?

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  • I've done a LOT of self-directed research here, if anyone is interested. 

    I think the easiest way to understand the "Link" between Autism and ADHD is Monotropism.

    We both experience difficulty with executive function and we both have difficulty with a linear time stream. We both have lower "Inhibition" in the brain and difficulty filtering out sense-perception. We both can process at a particularity fantastic speed. 

    We're VERY similar to our ADHD friends. We even team up well. But key differences are quite specific. Does a stimulant make you feel calm, collected, grounded? That's ADHD. Does it feel impossible to interpret and not be misinterpreted N-Typcial society? That's Autism. Do you need to do one thing at a time and finish it or you become hazardous? That's Autism. Are you who we should all rely on in an emergency? That's ADHD. 

    While there's a good deal of research now on the similarities at a biological level, I've found it important to me (personally) to work out if a thing is a genuine difficulty/difference or if I just need to make the extra effort and do the thing I'm too lazy to do which will feel great tomorrow and keep me awake if I don't.  

  • in reply to JuniperFromGallifrey
    JuniperFromGallifrey said:
    I've done a LOT of self-directed research here, if anyone is interested. 

    Interested??

    You just explained to me, succinctly, a shedload of stuff I've been really, really struggling to comprehend.

    I've always found your posts to be "coming from a place I am trying to get to" and very wise, but you just hit gold there for me, thank you very much..

    I have all of those qualities you listed, particularly the "useful in an emergency" thing.

  • in reply to I Sperg

    I actually USED to think I was useful in an emergency. It's because I do have a sense of inner calm when others are externally expressing the same chaotic mess eternally happening in my mind. This is different than having actual skills which would be good for an ambulance unit. Put an ADHDr there, and they might work well so long as they're not expected to handle too much paperwork. 

    This is the Monotropic brain-type which both ADHD and Au share and why we make great friends. A sense of incoming signals all at once and often mislabeled 'over-thinking' (which means the opposite of problem-solving). 

  • in reply to I Sperg

    Very entertaining! And well done on the piloting skills!

    But this deserves a bellowing wow:

    I Sperg said:
    Did I mention the sensory input of it being 46 DEGREES at 10:30 that evening??   

    I think I've travelled enough to move to the top of Scotland and never leave. This is how I feel about warm-ish weather!

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