Autism and ADHD: Understanding the Differences and Overlaps
- VHC team
- Oct 3
- 4 min read
Autism and ADHD are two of the most commonly talked about neurodivergences today, but they’re also some of the most misunderstood. Many people wonder, what’s the difference between them, and why do they so often overlap? In this post, we’ll explore both the unique features and the shared experiences of Autism and ADHD, and why understanding both matters for truly supportive care.
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What is Autism and ADHD ?
Autism and ADHD represent neurological differences, diverging from the 'neurotypical' norm (thus termed neurodivergence). These involve genetic variations in information processing that occur throughout all nervous systems, shaping the way both external and internal environments are perceived and reacted to.
We all have an "operating system" that comes pre-installed in our brain. Neurotypical brains might run like iOS, while neurodivergent brains might run on an Android system. Now, picture this: Androids chatting effortlessly with other Androids, but when an Android tries to communicate with an iPhone, it might not be as easy. It might take extra steps, like downloading an app to make things less challenging, and after that communication, the Android might need to recharge for longer before its ready to go again.
Autistic individuals may experience differences in communication, relationships, sensory processing, energy, and self-regulation. An ADHDer may present with an inattention presentation and/or an hyperactivity/impulsivity presentation. Historically, ADHD has been studied and diagnosed based on male presentations. This has left many women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals without accurate identification or support. Instead, they are often misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, or personality disorders, while the root cause goes unrecognised. So while noting what ADHD may look like, its important to know that ADHD in females and gender-diverse individuals can look different to the ‘typical’ ADHD traits that people may think of.
What this may look like:
Autism | ADHD |
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Differences Between Autism and ADHD
Social communication: Both ADHDers and Autistic people can struggle to fit in socially with neurotypical peers, but often for different reasons
Autism – differences in reading and interpreting social cues.
ADHD – tends to understand cues but may have difficulty regulating attention and impulsivity. Maybe you have struggled to resist the impulse to finish your friends sentence for example.
Focus:
Autism – deep, sustained focus on interests
ADHD – easily distracted unless engaged in an interesting activity (e.g., an activity with novelty)
Routine vs novelty:
Autism – values predictability
ADHD – craves novelty and stimulation.
Sensory:
Autism – sensory processing differences are core
ADHD – sensory differences may be secondary.
Hyper-fixation and Hyperfocus
ADHD – hyperfocus for ADHDers may look like becoming increasingly interested with novel interests. Ever quickly delved into a rabbit hole and your attention became so intense due to this being an area of novelty, interest, passion and maybe even urgency.
Autism – autistic individuals have a tendency to have a strong, more singular interest. These topics may also be known as special interests (or 'SpIns) and may involve more than one interest, showing that these special interests aren't always as narrow as people might think.
The Overlap between Autism and ADHD
Here are just some of the areas where Autism and ADHD can overlap:
Shared executive functioning challenges (e.g., challenges with planning, organisation, and time management).
Emotional regulation challenges.
Sensory sensitivities - this is often seen in both common in Autistic and ADHD individuals because of how neurodivergent brains process sensory information.
Challenges at school, work, and in relationships often come from being misunderstood.
Can You be Diagnosed with Both Autism and ADHD?
Yes! Many people are both Autistic and ADHD (often called AuDHD). But this wasn’t always the case. Until 2013, the diagnostic manual (DSM-IV) did not 'allow' a person to be diagnosed with both Autism and ADHD. The latest DSM edition (DSM-5, 2013) changed this, allowing for both to be diagnosed. Because of this history, research into the co-occurring prevalence of Autism and ADHD is still limited, but is growing, and we hope it continues to grow.
Heres what we know so far:
About 1.1% of Australians are Autistic (which is likely under-reported due to the many individuals who are undiagnosed) (ABS, 2022).
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found that ADHD was the most common neurodevelopmental disorder for children, with 5.4-10.9% of Australian children diagnosed (Lawrence et al., 2016).
Autism Awareness Australia report that at least 1 in 3 people who are autistic are also ADHDers.
How We Can Help!
At Very Helpful Chats, we provide neuroaffirming Autism and ADHD assessments, as well as therapy for neurodivergent individuals (whether formally diagnosed or not!).
If you’d like to learn more about our assessments and supports, please get in touch — we’d love to help!
Feel free to have a read of our Autism and ADHD assessment page to learn more - https://www.veryhelpfulchats.com.au/audhd-assessments
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2024, October 11). Autism in Australia, 2022. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/autism-australia-2022
Lawrence, D., Hafekost, J., Johnson, S. E., Saw, S., Buckingham, W. J., Sawyer, M. G., Ainley, J., & Zubrick, S. R. (2016). Key findings from the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 50(9), 876–886. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867415617836
https://www.autismawareness.com.au/navigating-autism/autism-and-co-occurring-conditions
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