ADHD and lots of autism traits

[FantasticAParticipant]

Hey everyone! I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD and I’m wondering if Im on the Autism Spectrum. I have lots of autism traits and it’s got me thinking. Do any of you have any autism traits? Here are some of mine:
*Poor eye contact (I don’t like making eye contact)
*A need for routine or else sudden Anxiety
*Sensory issues
*Obsessive interest
*Rigid thinking
*Meltdowns when angry, stressed, or overwhelmed
*I don’t understand jokes/sarcasm
*I struggle to speak smoothly without stuttering
*Have a very hard time making friends

Autism is very similar to ADHD, so I’m just wondering or not if I should try for a autism diagnosis.

[BlueParticipant]

I’d say there’s no harm in trying for it. I experience the majority of the above too!

But ADHD does share a large overlap with autistic traits that get overlooked/dismissed. Such a sensory processing issues, ‘obsessive’ special interests, meltdowns, eyecontact difficulty, trouble with sarcasm (or vague communication), making friends. They’re just not spoken about much, because they’re often underesearched or called by a different name: ‘tantrums’ that are actually meltdowns, ‘fidgeting’ that’s actually stimming, ‘obsessions/hyperfixations’ that are actually special interests, ‘pickiness/fussiness’ that’s actually due to sensory issues. etc

If you feel it’s worth going seeking out an autism diagonosis, then that’s awesome. ADHD and Autism are very commonly comorbid with each other too. I think it’s always worth trying to learn more about ourselves! There’s no harm in trying to understand your experiences better.

[NexusParticipant]

Hi,

I’m diagnosed ADHD and ASD.

I can’t tell you what you are but I have all of those symptoms.
Many of the symptoms between the two do overlap.

[Penny WilliamsKeymaster]

Many individuals have both an ADHD and an autism diagnosis. It’s becoming increasingly common now that the latest DSM allows both diagnoses.

There’s a self-test here that can help you see if you’re on the right path: https://www.additudemag.com/screener-autism-spectrum-disorder-symptoms-test-adults/

But, ultimately, you don’t know unless you seek evaluation.

Professional Guidelines for Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder

Penny
ADDitude Community Moderator, Parenting ADHD Trainer & Author, Mom to teen w/ ADHD, LDs, and autism

[FantasticAParticipant]

Ok, thanks for your advise! I will bring up Autism Spectrum disorder when I go too see a psychologist. These things really do effect me in my everyday life and it is hard. Here are some more of my autism traits:
*Find it hard to make small talk/engage in a conversation
*Trouble understanding other people/relating
*Stimming- Repeating phrases or certain words over and over again, counting.
*Constantly being called “wierd” or “strange”

So yeah, I’ve had most of these traits all of my life and then I started to really notice something was wrong with me when I got to my teen years. I’m 16 btw. So, I basically researched a bunch of stuff and it hit me: Autism Spectrum Disorder.

[Dr. EricParticipant]

“not if I should try for a autism diagnosis.”

No, you should try for a comprehensive, quality assessment with a differential diagnosis by a high-quality practitioner with no pre-conceived outcome other than comprehensiveness and accuracy in mind.

[Author]

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