What is AuDHD?
AuDHD is a word used when someone is both autistic and ADHD. It is not a separate medical diagnosis, but a way of describing life with both conditions at the same time.

Research shows this overlap is very common:

• Around 30–50% of autistic people also meet criteria for ADHD.

• Many people with ADHD also show autistic traits.

Why AuDHD matters
If you only look at ADHD or autism alone, the advice often doesn’t fit. AuDHD brains have their own mix of challenges and strengths. The label helps people feel seen and understood.

How AuDHD feels

• Push and pull: wanting routine (autism) but also needing change (ADHD).

• Pure chaos: starting projects with excitement (ADHD) but burning out when change or noise becomes too much (autism).

• Confusion: needing clear rules, but also blurting out or oversharing.

• Extreme focus shifts: one day deep in research, the next unable to sit still.

• Daily life struggles: executive function problems (planning, organising, starting tasks) plus sensory overload.

Hidden or less-known signs of AuDHD

• Social “crash landings”: over-enthusiastic at first, then withdrawing suddenly.

• Switching masks: appearing like ADHD in one setting, autistic in another.

• Trouble trusting their own abilities, because feedback has always been mixed.

• Feeling like a “walking contradiction.”

Myths vs reality

• Myth: AuDHD is just “double the problems.”
  Reality: It’s a unique mix that creates challenges but also huge creativity and empathy.

• Myth: You can only be one or the other.
  Reality: The brain can easily meet criteria for both, and many people do.

Facts and figures

• AuDHD is not yet listed as an official medical category.

• Awareness is growing quickly, especially online communities.

• Many adults only learn about it after seeing others share their stories.

Why diagnosis is often late

• ADHD and autism can mask each other.

• Girls and women are often overlooked.

• Doctors may diagnose one but not both.

• Many people are misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, or personality disorders before AuDHD is recognised.

The reality of living with both

• It can feel exhausting, like your brain wants two opposite things at once.

• Everyday jobs (cleaning, admin, appointments) can feel like climbing a mountain.

• Burnout happens more often because sensory overload and executive dysfunction pile on together.

• But — many AuDHD people are also deeply creative, curious, and passionate. Their brains are wired for innovation, care, and resilience.