Autism & ADHD
Are you (late-diagnosed) Autistic/ADHD? Do you wonder if you might be? Have you been playing around with the idea of getting testing? Has your child been tested and it’s left you questioning yourself? Do you strongly relate with the videos on your For You page from content creators who are Autistic/ADHD/AuDHD?
WELCOME.
You are my people.
Autism and ADHD are neurodevelopmental conditions that impact the way our brains function and develop. They are passed down genetically (ahem, not Tylenol) and impact the way we navigate the world around us- socially, emotionally, and cognitively.
While the medical model considers these disorders, they are NOT. They are differing neurotypes. That being said, our society is not built for neurodivergency. Unfortunately, despite more information coming out about what is helpful for Autistic/ADHDers, society continues to be very ableist and individualistic, and therefore instead of adjusting and accommodating, the pressure is put on the individual to change. To do more. To be better. And as a result, this leads to more burn out, depression, anxiety, and meltdowns/shutdowns. I’m here to tell you however that there is NOTHING wrong with you. Your brain simply functions differently.
However, because of the continued ableism and discrimination that occurs, many people who are Autistic/ADHD struggle mentally, emotionally, socially, and cognitively. While therapy cannot and should not treat these (they are not curable), therapy can assist in building skills, accommodations, awareness, and acceptance.
What is Autism/ADHD?
What might ADHD and/or Autism Look Like?
Sensory Sensitivities
Many people with Autism/ADHD experience sensory input differently. At times, they may feel overwhelmed by the different senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch), OR they may seek out sensory input. Each person perceives how they receive sensory input differently, and it may even change on any given day.
Routine & Flexibility
Maintaining routine for ADHDers/Autistics is often contradictory. ADHDers are novelty and dopamine seekers and need and crave new stimuli; whereas Autistics crave and need routine and order. For Autistics, change, especially, last-minute, can be highly dysregulating and may present as though the person is controlling, rigid, or inflexible. Both Autistics and ADHDers struggle to form habits. This may be due to forgetfulness, time blindness, executive dysfunction, and/or lack of neural pruning.
Executive Function
Executive function is the cognitive ability to plan, organize, make decisions, execute tasks, and regulate emotions. Executive dysfunction impairment is common in ADHD/Autism. This looks like difficulties with maintaining attention, starting and/or stopping tasks, handling last-minute change, planning for the future, and tracking time.
Social
With Autism/ADHD, there are often social challenges. Unlike myths perpetuated by society and media, Autistic individuals CAN and DO make and have friends. However, there may be challenges with understanding social cues, rules, and reciprocity (i.e. back-and-forth communication). Similary, ADHDers may also struggle with reciprocity. ADHDers may struggle to maintain friendships due to “out of sight, out of mind.” Masking often occurs in social spaces in order to “fit in.”
Emotion Regulation
Autistic/ADHDers ability to regulate emotions is largely impacted. We often feel emotions very deeply and yet have a hard time naming or identifying them or even have the ability to recognize emotions occurring in the moment. Because of the way our brain’s function, the ability to regulate emotions is typically impacted.
Stimming
Stimming is a common characteristic for both Autistics and ADHDers. This may look like sensory seeking (i.e. rubbing that soft blanket, eating candy, spinning in circles, dancing), or it may look like fidgeting (i.e. cracking knuckles, shaking leg, tapping foot). Stimming is used to sooth and self-regulate. Stimming aids in emotion regulation, calming the nervous system, and engaging the sensory input that’s needed (whether that be due to overstimulation or understimulation).
Many individuals, especially AFAB, are high-masking and perfectionistic.
Because of this, many people go their whole lives without knowing or being diagnosed, which sadly can lead to shame, embarrassment, and burn out.
