Autism vs. ADHD: Telling Them Apart

They overlap, but they're not the same. Here's how to tell which is which.

"Getting diagnosed with one when I had both was like getting glasses but only for one eye." — AuDHD adult

The Core Difference

Autism	ADHD
Attention goes too deep	Attention won't stick
Hard to SHIFT focus	Hard to SUSTAIN focus
"I cannot stop thinking about this"	"What was I thinking about?"

Key Differences

Routine:

• Autism: Craves routine, distressed by change
• ADHD: Craves novelty, bored by sameness

Interests:

• Autism: Deep, long-term interests (years or lifetime)
• ADHD: Intense but shifting interests (graveyard of hobbies)

Impulsivity:

• Autism: Usually thinks through actions
• ADHD: Impulsivity is a core feature

Social challenges:

• Autism: Doesn't know the unwritten rules
• ADHD: Knows rules, forgets to apply them

Stimming vs. fidgeting:

• Autism: Purposeful, patterned self-regulation
• ADHD: Random restlessness relief

Signs You Might Have Both

Consider AuDHD if you:

• Need routine BUT can't maintain it
• Have lifelong interests AND rotating obsessions
• Are detail-oriented AND scattered
• Crave predictability AND novelty
• Find BOTH autism AND ADHD strategies helpful

Neither diagnosis fully explains you if you have both. Don't settle for partial understanding.