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Attention problems (not ADHD)

Inah

Hi, I am newly as well as late diagnosed and since diagnosis I struggle from imposter syndrome. One the reasons is that I don’t have a special interest nor the ability to deep dive due to attention issues. I find it hard to stay focussed on one thing, and that’s even when I do something I like. I also switch routines and obsessions/ short-term interests. So I thought it could be ADHD/ AuDHD, but was found to definitely not have ADHD (went for an assessment). I feel a bit lost because when I google attention problems in autism, AuDHD comes up all the time which seemingly I don’t have, and in most forums people who say they have problems with attention, seem to be able to focus on things they have a special interest in. I am not sure what to do now? Any advice?

  • AuDHDer here. You can have ADHD and Autism and not be able to focus on special interests. I do have some special interests, like greyhounds, and I get anxiety talking about them because everyone expects the Autistic guy to know EVERYTHING about his special interest lol. I don’t know everything, and for some things I don’t want to know everything yet. It’s also very common to have short bursts of interest that fly from one thing to another. I recently obsessed over the Seattle Sounders soccer team and quickly switched interest again to something else. It happens.

    It’s not a bad idea to consider a second opinion.

  • Could you give a bit more detail about what your attention difficulties are and any other difficulties that made you think ADHD? And also about your ADHD assessment and why they ruled it definitely not?

    I ask because I am now diagnosed with autism and ADHD but when I originally went for my autism assessment, I queried ADHD and he fully ruled it out. After much research, I discovered that his reasoning was very outdated and so persued a specifically ADHD assessment and this time got a resounding yes. I think there was only criteria I didn't score for. 

    Attention problems are only one aspect of ADHD so it may have been that you didn't meet any other criteria. Hyperfocus is certainly an aspect of autism and ADHD but you wouldn't need to have both to hyperfocus so it could be that you don't have interest based focus. I'm not sure hyperfocus is a necessity with ADHD though, just common. It could be that your ADHD assessment was outdated.

    Switching routines, obsessions and interests. Does fit in with ADHD more so than autism though.

  • Hi  . I don't know much about ADHD, but I was listening to a podcast by two AuDHDers and thought it was curious how it differs so much person to person having these two opposite conditions, and how it effects them differently. Maybe research more and take your findings to someone who could work it out with you? 

    In the mean time, research and see if things that help with this problem for AuDHDers works for you? Sometimes having something on paper doesn't help anyway, it's how you work out a solution that works for you that matters. 

    (Like trying fidget toys and see if they help with focus?)