Autism vs ADHD
So many times we see discussions of adhd and autism where the terms are being used synonymously. This is not only pretty infuriating as an adhd autistic person, but can also lead to confusion regarding the two conditions.
There are people questioning if they are autistic / adhd and confuse traits of one for the other due to the constant flood of misinformation, and synonymous use of the terms.
In reality, these two neurodevelopment conditions are complete opposites of one another.
Yes, some traits may overlap and seem similar, however this is significantly less than we are led to believe on social media. Some traits may seem the same on paper, but the root cause of the trait is completely different.
What is Autism?
Autism is a neurodevelopment condition that is characterised by struggles with social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviour. Autistic people can struggle with social cues, taking things literally, and expressing their emotions. Autism exists on a spectrum, and everyone will experience their autistic traits and struggles differently.
The Main characteristics of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) are:
Finding it hard to understand what others are thinking / feeling
Getting anxious about social situations
Finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be alone
Seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to
Finding it difficult to say how you feel
Taking things literally, or struggling with sarcasm and idioms
Having the same routine everyday and becoming very anxious if it changes
Other signs of autism can include
Not understanding “social rules”
Avoiding eye contact
Getting too close to people or getting upset when people get too close to you
Noticing small details, patterns or smells that others do not
Having a very keen interest in a particular subject
What is ADHD?
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In my opinion, I think ADHD is wrongly named. Those of us with ADHD do not have a deficit of attention. We just have struggles in trying to manage our attention. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which is primarily characterised as difficulties with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Depending on which subtype of ADHD you have. There are 3 different subtypes of ADHD
Inattentive Type ADHD.
Used to be known as ADD, however this is no longer diagnosed and is just now referred to as ADHD Inattentive type.
Common Symptoms/traits of Inattentive ADHD;
Difficulty paying attention to details
Difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or activities
Frequent “careless” mistakes (careless meaning mistakes that neurotypical people wouldn’t usually make)
Poor organisation skills
Avoidance of tasks requiring sustained mental effort
Frequently losing items
Easily distracted
Forgetful
I don’t much care for the way the traits are often characterised, as i find them to be negative in all aspects, so a better way to characterise some of these traits in my opinion would be:
Attention focused in a non-linear way
Attention sustained on tasks where they are able to engage according to their own timeline
Creative mind that moves fast, overlooking unimportant details
Eager to get started on tasks/activities without need to plan ahead
Prefers tasks which enable them to get a release of dopamine
Common symptoms/traits of Hyperactive Impulsive ADHD
Fidgeting or trouble sitting still
Excessive talking / talking fast
Constant moving around
Having little patience for things
Interrupting people or blurting things out
Again, the way the traits are listen come across in a overly negative way, so some better examples could be
Stims to help maintain focus and concentration, or to regulate emotions
Talks passionately about subjects they care deeply about
Seeks change of environment for different stimuli
Processes time differently
Quick ability to perceive direction of conversation and make connections within the topics.
Lastly, we have Combined Type ADHD. Which, as it says, is a combination of the other two subtypes of ADHD.
Combined ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed subtype. To get a diagnosis of Combined you must show 6 of the inattentive ADHD type traits and 6 of the Hyperactive Impulsive ADHD type traits.
Knowing the difference between Autism and ADHD is important, but this is where things get challenging. It's fine to identify the differences when you have one or the other. They are not exactly easy to mix up. The trouble comes when you have both. Because, yes, it is possible to have both.
Here is a table I created and used during a talk at the Autism Show earlier this year.
It’s helpful to see that the main criteria is so different, yet there are many overlapping traits. However, the difference is that these traits are secondary traits with the cause being different. Having both can make it difficult to identify specific traits.
For example, If I have a plan set in motion, and then it changes suddenly from an outside source, I can become extremely upset and frustrated. However, if I am to change the plan, then this isn't something that causes me as much anxiety. There are also a lot of misconceptions regarding the sensory difficulties that come with autism, which can also come with ADHD. If you get upset, anxious or feel frustrated and uncomfortable in certain clothes because you're over stimulated, but can feel fine in those same clothes another time, it could be from ADHD. If you feel frustrated and uncomfortable in certain clothes all the time because of the texture on your skin and you can’t ever feel comfortable in this certain item, it could be a trait of Autism. That isnt always the case, unfortunately it isn’t that simple. But being able to identify what you are struggling with, will be a huge help in trying to identify which neurological condition it is.
Other things such as fidgeting, insomnia, anxiety and social burnout can be a trait of either. There are also traits such as emotional regulation difficulties.
Within ADHD this could be due to the impulsive nature, and being unable to contain your emotions, particularly anger and upset.
Whereas emotional regulation with Autism can be more due to not understanding which of your emotions you are experiencing or knowing exactly how you feel about something.
It can be difficult to identify the difference when it comes to the secondary traits, so being able to identify the main characteristics is really important to be able to move along in your journey and understand yourself better.
I hope this was helpful!
Have a super good day
Adelaide x
