Executive functioning
Planning, organisation, time management and following through on tasks can be challenging in both Autism and ADHD, although the pattern and reasons may differ.
Autism & ADHD
Understanding
Autism & ADHD
Autism and ADHD are separate neurodevelopmental conditions, but they can occur together and may share some overlapping experiences.
Understanding where they overlap, and where they differ, can help make sense of experiences that may otherwise feel confusing or contradictory.
The bigger picture
Different conditions.
Some shared experiences.
Autism and ADHD are separate neurodevelopmental conditions. A person may be autistic without having ADHD, have ADHD without being autistic, or meet the diagnostic criteria for both.
Although some experiences can look similar from the outside, the underlying patterns and reasons behind them may differ.
Autism
Distinct diagnostic criteria
Autism + ADHD
Both sets of diagnostic criteria may be met
Sometimes referred to as “AuDHD”ADHD
Distinct diagnostic criteria
A term you may have heard
What does “AuDHD” mean?
AuDHD is an informal term commonly used to describe someone who is both autistic and has ADHD. It can be useful shorthand when talking about the experience of having both conditions, but it is not a separate clinical diagnosis.
A note on diagnosis
“AuDHD” is not a formal DSM-5-TR diagnosis. Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD have separate diagnostic criteria and, when appropriate, may be diagnosed alongside one another.
Shared areas
Why some Autism and ADHD
experiences can look similar
Autistic people and people with ADHD may experience differences or challenges in some of the same areas. However, similar experiences do not necessarily have the same underlying pattern or explanation.
Attention and focus
Differences in directing, shifting or sustaining attention may occur in both Autism and ADHD, but the way these patterns present can differ from person to person.
Sensory experiences
Sensory sensitivity, reduced sensitivity or sensory seeking can occur in both conditions, although individual triggers and responses can vary considerably.
Emotional regulation
Managing emotional responses can be difficult for some autistic people and some people with ADHD, although the circumstances and underlying processes may differ.
Social experiences
Social situations and communication can be experienced differently in both conditions, but similar outward experiences do not necessarily arise for the same reasons.
Routines and transitions
Routines, transitions and changes in plans can present challenges in both Autism and ADHD, although these experiences may arise in different ways.
Key differences
Overlap does not mean
they are interchangeable.
While there are shared experiences, Autism and ADHD have distinct diagnostic criteria. Understanding the differences can help explain why two people with similar challenges may have different diagnoses and support needs.
Autism
Differences in social communication and interaction, together with restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities, form part of the diagnostic criteria for Autism.
ADHD
Persistent patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interfere with functioning or development form the core diagnostic criteria for ADHD.
Real people are considerably more complex than diagnostic summaries.
Individual experiences vary, and diagnostic criteria describe only one part of a much broader picture.
Both conditions
When Autism and ADHD
occur together
Some people meet the diagnostic criteria for both Autism and ADHD. This can result in a combination of experiences that may sometimes feel conflicting.
- Wanting predictability while finding it difficult to maintain routines.
- Needing reduced stimulation at some times while seeking stimulation at others.
- Becoming deeply absorbed in areas of interest while finding it difficult to direct attention elsewhere.
- Experiencing sensory sensitivities alongside a desire for novelty or stimulation.
- Finding some social situations both engaging and exhausting.
The informal term “AuDHD” is commonly used to describe people who are both autistic and have ADHD, although Autism and ADHD remain separate diagnoses.
Assessment
Understanding the whole picture matters.
An assessment is not simply about identifying a list of traits. Psychologists consider a person’s developmental history, current experiences, functioning and whether the diagnostic criteria for each condition are met.
Because Autism and ADHD are separate diagnoses, one should not automatically be assumed because the other is present.
Beyond diagnosis
Receiving a diagnosis and receiving appropriate support are not the same thing.
An Autism or ADHD diagnosis can bring enormous clarity. It may help explain why certain experiences have always felt harder, why previous advice did not work, or why you have spent years feeling as though everyone else received instructions you somehow missed.
But understanding the reason does not automatically change the difficulties that led someone to seek an assessment in the first place.
After diagnosis, some people may want support to understand how Autism or ADHD affects their individual life. This may include processing painful experiences of being ridiculed, rejected or excluded for being different, and exploring how those experiences have shaped current beliefs, relationships and ways of coping.
Support may also focus on:
- Anxiety, depression or burnout
- Executive functioning and everyday demands
- Relationships and communication
- Workplace or educational accommodations
- Referral to an appropriate medical professional where medication is being considered
- Understanding which forms of support are useful for the individual
Support should be available and clearly explained, but it should not be imposed on the assumption that Autism or ADHD itself needs to be “treated”.
Diagnosis can provide missing information. What happens next should be guided by the individual.
When you have met one autistic adult, you have met one autistic adult. Every person has their own experiences, needs, strengths and challenges.
Explore further
Explore each condition
Autism
Understanding Autism
Explore Autism in more detail, including characteristics, assessment and the different ways it may be experienced.
Understanding Autism
ADHD
Understanding ADHD
Learn more about ADHD, including attention, executive functioning and the different ways it may present.
Understanding ADHDNot sure where to start?
Not sure whether to book an Autism or ADHD assessment?
Some experiences associated with Autism and ADHD can look similar, and some people meet the diagnostic criteria for both.
If you are unsure which assessment may be appropriate, select the Autism + ADHD assessment (AuDHD) option when booking. At the beginning of your appointment, let your psychologist know that you are unsure which assessment may be appropriate. They can explore this with you and guide the assessment process based on the information discussed during your session.
Please note:
“AuDHD” is an informal term commonly used to describe someone
who is both autistic and has ADHD. It is not a separate
DSM-5-TR diagnosis. Autism and ADHD have separate diagnostic
criteria.