AuDHD: When It's ADHD and Autism

What does AuDHD mean?

The term AuDHD is a community-adapted label to signify that both Autism and ADHD are present in a person.  The name is cute and catchy, but it also signifies how intertwined the two diagnoses can be.  So far, it is not used in clinical settings.

Using AuDHD in social media profiles is meant as a sort of shorthand to introduce our neurological profiles to the community.  It’s helpful because those with AuDHD neurology have distinct needs to those who rest more cleanly in ADHD or Autism ends of the spectrum.

What is AuDHD?

Like we said, those who find that their neurology contains both autism and ADHD often label themselves AuDHD. The overlap is surprisingly common.  Research has found that 50% - 70% of Autistic people are also diagnosably ADHD.

This huge rate of co-occurrence between ADHD and Autism might be explained by a new theory that Autism, ADHD, and OCD might be part of the same neurotype.  Research shows that all three have related genetic, biological, and structural features.  This could explain why such strong overlaps in traits exist.  

Yet, they aren’t exactly the same.  For example, Autism and ADHD are lifelong issues, whereas OCD tends to develop later in childhood.  There are also plenty of instances where just Autism or just ADHD are present.

Now, let’s look at a few examples of how traits of ADHD and Autism are distinct and how they can overlap.

AuDHD Symptoms

Understanding AuDHD symptoms can be tricky, because they tend to be the combination of traits that don’t seem compatible.  Let’s look at a few common traits in Autism and ADHD and then see how they combine in AuDHD.

Common Autistic Symptoms

Autistic people prefer routines, consistency, and predictability.  They’re more tolerant of repetitive tasks and are better able to stick to plans and routines.  They tend to have a set of deep interests that they keep for long periods of time.  Some common struggles are with unpredictability, transitions, uncertainty, and variations from routines.

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Common ADHD Symptoms

In contrast, ADHDers tend to prefer novelty and find routines hard to maintain.  They’ll thrive better in chaotic environments and tend to cope with uncertainty and certain types of transitions better.  However, ADHDers find transitioning between tasks can be trickier, meaning they will struggle to finish things and can become unable to make decisions when overwhelmed.  Boredom can be painful.  So, they seek out stimulation more, and differently, than Autistic people do. For example, Autistic people might prefer to work alone, where ADHDers might focus better in a group or public setting.

Want to know what the best jobs are for your type of ADHD?  We have a quiz for that too!

Common AuDHD Symptoms

AuDHD tends to bring an often conflicting combination of traits.  AuDHD folks will crave routine but find their routines unravel very easily.  They’ll crave novelty ye tfind uncertainty overwhelming. With AuDHD, you may be very sensory seeking but easily overwhelmed.  

These conflicting needs make it possible for AuDHD people to be their own source of uncertainty and overwhelm, often directly because of their best intentions.  Here are a few examples of this in practice:

• Using ASMR to focus (ADHD need), then finding themselves close to meltdown from sensory overwhelm (Autism).

• Needing structure from a job to provide routine (Autism) and then getting too bored to tolerate repetitive tasks (ADHD). Or...

• Preferring newness and project based work (ADHD), but also needing repetitive tasks to anchor themselves in a routine (Autism).

• Benefiting from how work or school externalizes some of the burden for executive functioning (ADHD) but becoming overwhelmed by the sensory demands of collective workspaces (Autism).

Commonalities in Autism, ADHD, and AUDHD

There are a few things that connect all three categories of symptoms, regardless of where you fall in the spectrum:

1. The Science - Like we said above, research shows that there are meaningful connections between ADHD, Autism, and AuDHD on genetic and biological levels.  All three present in the same structures of the brain. For example, all three impact the limbic system, which is where we process learning, memory, emotions, and sensory information.

2. Executive Dysfunction - Another commonality to be found is that all three impact executive functioning in some way.  Autism and ADHD show different presentations of executive dysfunction, but both come with some impact to it.  Autistic people will maintain some executive functioning while struggling in other areas.  ADHD seems to come with a much more complete dysregulation to this system.  AuDHD creates further complications, as certain coping skills that might help Autism or ADHD individually won’t work on combined symptoms.  We strongly advise looking into executive dysfunction if you think you’re dealing with Autism and/or ADHD.

3. The need for support - Needs will vary from person to person, especially with strong overlapping and contrasting traits being so common.  However, most people will need support for at least some aspects of ADHD and Autism.  Some common needs will include sensory accommodations, executive functioning support, some forms of medication, social support, school and employment support, and daily living support (i.e. cleaning, cooking, transportation, etc)

Learn more about Executive Dysfunction’s role in ADHD here.

How do I know if it’s Autism, ADHD, or AuDHD?

There’s no one set path to learning this information.  Often, someone is diagnosed with either ADHD or Autism first.  As they adjust to their new understanding of themselves, there are usually a few traits or symptoms that aren’t fully accounted for.  Thus, a secondary diagnosis is often discovered.  

One way that you can untangle all of this information is to look into the experiences of other Autistic and ADHD folks.  Personal stories can give us the vocabulary we need to understand and express ourselves better.  Find people who have experiences you relate to and people who have experiences you don’t relate to.  See all the different ways that symptoms and traits overlap, combine, and interact.  This will help you determine whether or not AuDHD is the answer for you.

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