AuDHD
What is AuDHD?
AuDHD is a term embraced within neurodivergent communities to describe autistic and ADHD individuals whose lived experiences reflect both neurotypes. An AuDHDer is both autistic and ADHD, identifying through either self-diagnosis or formal diagnosis.
Although autism and ADHD are defined separately in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, emerging clinical and neurodiversity informed perspectives view AuDHD as far more than a residual category. Many autistic and ADHD individuals share overlapping traits, including sensory sensitivities, executive functioning differences, and emotional intensity. These characteristics interact dynamically in daily life rather than existing as isolated or distinct conditions. Research shows that approximately 50 to 70% percent of autistic individuals also meet criteria for ADHD, and 30 to 50% of ADHDers have Autism. This significant rate of co occurrence demonstrates that AuDHD is not a rare overlap, but a common neurotype that warrants recognition, validation, and deeper understanding.
AuDHD Traits
Shared Executive Functioning Differences
Executive functions are the mental skills that help us plan, organize, start tasks, shift between tasks, and hold information in mind. Large reviews and recent studies show that both ADHD and autism are associated with significant executive functioning differences, and that these are especially pronounced when both neurotypes are present together.
For many AuDHD adults, this can look like:
Difficulties starting tasks even when they care deeply about them
Losing track of time or appointments
Forgetting steps in multi stage tasks
Struggling to switch attention once they are deeply focused
Feeling mentally exhausted after everyday demands
These challenges are not laziness or lack of willpower. They reflect genuine differences in how the brain manages information, energy, and attention.