ADHD and autism (Audhd)

Hello Danfee

I was diagnosed ASD in my 60s, just over a year ago. I have been referred for an ADHD assessment.

I’ve read up on this and I’m fairly certain that I’m AuDHD. Some autism traits and ADHD traits can seem similar at first sight, so it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between the two conditions with regard to specific difficulties.

How could I figure out whether a trait is due to autism or ADHD? I was diagnosed autistic a few years back, but I struggle more and more with focus and getting constantly distracted, jumping from one task to another without finishing either, and struggling to start things. On paper, I would say this all sounds like ADHD, however I think this could just be part of the autism. How can you tell?

How could I figure out whether a trait is due to autism or ADHD? I was diagnosed autistic a few years back, but I struggle more and more with focus and getting constantly distracted, jumping from one task to another without finishing either, and struggling to start things. On paper, I would say this all sounds like ADHD, however I think this could just be part of the autism. How can you tell?

Thanks. Exhausting mess sums it up! Good luck with the GP.

I saw an article about AuDHD in the NAS Magazine last summer, in which Dr. Khurram Sadiq explained some of the features, so I bought his book “Explaining AuDHD”.

Some of the things that resonated were my preoccupation with certain activities and facts because I have a passion for them. Sometimes my preoccupation is intense and it interferes with other things so I have difficulty being flexible with social interactions (autism).Some of my interests have been short lived and they turned out to be expensive mistakes (ADHD).

I have a deep yearning for organisation and I achieve that by having certain things meticulously organised (autism), but I’m often distracted, procrastinate and unable to complete other tasks (ADHD).

Dr Sadiq describes the balancing act as structure v. anarchy. That describes my life perfectly. I often feel tension between my need for silence v. stimulation through novelty.

In his book he states,

The intersection of the two conditions in AuDHD obscures their boundaries. Both conditions can manifest as difficulties in maintaining focus, challenges in social interactions, or behaviours perceived as impulsive or rigid. It is within these intersections that the complexities of AuDHD emerge, revealing a blend of characteristics that are not easily categorised as purely autistic or purely ADHD-related.

Is distractibility due to ADHD or is it an autistic inability to filter out extraneous sensory information?

Is ADHD hyperactivity overlapping with repetitive motor movements or a need for autistic sensory input?

The complexity of AuDHD lies in its duality – requiring us to look beyond surface-level behaviours and delve deeper into the cognitive, sensory and social dimensions that define each condition and their convergence in the individuals they affect.

Podcasts such as ADHD Chatter in which psychiatrists and other experts have discussed AuDHD have also informed me.

Ha yeah he wouldn't function without me! But my brain is an exhausting mess. I might speak to my GP as you suggested. I hope you manage the form soon!

It sounds like we are in quite similar positions. I am diagnosed autistic and have begun process of getting an ADHD assessment but, of course, I am really struggling to get the form done! Finishing it has been on my to do list for months now. I only want to do it so I can give medication a go. I also tend to notice where things are and remember and my wife is also always losing stuff!

There is a lot of overlap between Autism and ADHD. Certain symptoms, such as intense focus, can be shared between the two conditions. That’s why it’s a little hard to tell if you have just Autism, ADHD, or both.

As McFrost alluded to, you can medicate for ADHD. That might be one good reason to go ahead and pursue a diagnosis. I’d recommend talking with your GP and see if they suggest it or not.

That's very helpful, thank you for the example. I certainly don't fit the ADHD criteria when it comes to losing things, whereas my husband constantly forgets where he puts everything. I walk past it once and remember exactly where it is. But similarly to your example, I make precise lists to alleviate my mental load and stop my brain from spinning, I decide the order I should do things in, but then I look at the first thing on the list and can't do it.

It took years to get an autism diagnosis though so I'm reluctant to start the process again for ADHD, but I do wonder if the things that I struggle with the most now are actually ADHD, since I've put a lot in place since understanding the ASD part of my brain, so I'm managing a lot better with the ASD difficulties.

The distraction and procrastination certainly sounds more likely caused by ADHD but with both things in the mix it can be difficult to pick apart what is doing what. The only way you could definitively figure that out is by medicating the ADHD I guess. For me, I have found it helpful to think of AuDHD as it's own thing, rather than two separate conditions. There is a push and pull in the brain of an AuDHD person that is unlikely to exist with pure ADHD or pure autism. For instance, I have this deep desire to be organised and methodical and have routine but an inability to do those consistently due to lack of focus, need for novelty, easily bored etc.