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?

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.

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.