Autism and ADHD are often thought of as entirely separate, but they frequently occur together in the same person. When someone is both autistic and has ADHD, this combination is sometimes described informally as AuDHD. It is more common than many people realise, and recognising both can make a real difference to how someone understands themselves and the support they receive. This guide explains what AuDHD means, how autism and ADHD overlap and differ, why the combination is so often missed, and how a combined assessment can help. It is intended as helpful information rather than a diagnostic tool.
What is AuDHD?
AuDHD is not a formal medical term. It is a word that the autistic and ADHD communities have adopted to describe the experience of being both autistic and having ADHD. Clinically, a person would receive two diagnoses, autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, rather than a single combined one. The popularity of the term reflects a growing recognition that the two frequently sit side by side and interact in ways that are worth understanding as a whole rather than in isolation.
Can you have both autism and ADHD?
Yes. For many years the two were treated as mutually exclusive, and until 2013 the main diagnostic manual, the DSM, did not allow a person to be diagnosed with both. This changed with the DSM-5, which recognised that autism and ADHD can and often do co-occur. Research now suggests that a substantial proportion of autistic people also have ADHD, and that many people with ADHD are also autistic. Being assessed for both, where relevant, gives a far more complete and accurate picture than looking at either on its own. For many people, recognising both is what finally explains experiences that neither diagnosis could fully account for by itself.
How autism and ADHD overlap
Autism and ADHD share a number of features, which is part of why they can be hard to tell apart. Both can involve differences in executive function, such as planning, organising and managing time. Both can include sensory sensitivities, difficulties with emotional regulation, and social experiences that differ from what is expected. Both can also involve intense focus, whether that is an autistic special interest or ADHD hyperfocus. Because of this overlap, traits that belong to one can easily be attributed to the other, and the presence of a second condition can be missed altogether.
How autism and ADHD differ
Although they overlap, autism and ADHD are distinct conditions. Autism primarily involves differences in social communication and interaction, alongside focused interests, a preference for routine and sensory differences that have been present from early childhood. ADHD primarily involves persistent difficulties with attention, activity levels and impulse control. A person can have features of both at once, but the core of each is different, which is why they are assessed separately and with different tools. A good assessment looks closely at which features are present, how far they affect daily life, and whether the criteria for one condition, the other, or both are met. This is also why being open about the full range of your experiences is so helpful.
How autism and ADHD can pull in different directions
One of the most striking things about AuDHD is that the two can sometimes seem to work against each other. Autism often brings a preference for routine, predictability and sameness, while ADHD often brings a need for novelty, stimulation and variety. A person may find they crave both order and spontaneity at the same time, or feel driven to seek new experiences while also finding change unsettling. This internal push and pull can be tiring and confusing, and making sense of it is often a real relief for people who have felt at odds with themselves for years.
How AuDHD can affect daily life
Living as AuDHD can feel like managing two sets of needs at once. The ADHD side may crave stimulation, spontaneity and variety, while the autistic side seeks routine, familiarity and calm. In practice this can look like starting many projects but struggling to finish them, craving social connection while also needing significant time alone to recover, or feeling bored and overwhelmed in quick succession. At work, unpredictable demands and constant interruptions can be draining, yet rigid and repetitive roles may feel stifling. Recognising this dynamic helps people shape routines and environments that meet both sets of needs rather than only one.
Why AuDHD is so often missed
When autism and ADHD occur together, their traits can mask one another. The impulsivity of ADHD might soften the caution associated with autism, or the structure-seeking of autism might partly offset the disorganisation of ADHD, so that neither profile looks typical. A person may have been assessed for one and not the other, or told that because they do not fit the classic picture of either, they have neither. Recognising that both can be present at once helps make sure that nothing is overlooked.
AuDHD in adults and women
Many people only discover they are AuDHD in adulthood, often after years of sensing that something did not quite add up. Women and those assigned female at birth are especially likely to have been missed, because both autism and ADHD have historically been under-recognised in them. Adults frequently seek an assessment after recognising themselves in the experiences of a friend or their own child. A late realisation can bring a mixture of relief and reflection, and, importantly, access to more suitable support.
Common myths about autism and ADHD
A number of myths make AuDHD harder to recognise. One is that a person cannot be both autistic and have ADHD, which has not been the case since 2013. Another is that the two always look the same in everyone, when in fact both are highly individual. It is also sometimes assumed that if someone is organised, sociable or academically successful they cannot have either, yet many AuDHD people appear to cope well while working extremely hard behind the scenes. Understanding that both conditions vary widely, and that they can coexist, is central to recognising them.
The benefits of understanding your full profile
Where both autism and ADHD are present, understanding the whole picture matters. Support that helps with one can sometimes clash with the other, so strategies need to account for both. A clear understanding can guide reasonable adjustments at work or in study, inform any conversation about medication for ADHD, and help a person build a life that fits how their mind actually works. Just as importantly, it can bring self-compassion, replacing years of confusion with a coherent and kinder explanation.
Getting assessed for autism and ADHD
If you think you may be autistic, have ADHD, or both, an assessment can provide real clarity. The two are assessed using different tools and processes, and where a combined picture would be helpful they can be considered together. You can read more about our adult autism assessment and our adult ADHD assessment, which explain how each one works. If you would like to understand what an assessment involves, our guide to what happens during an autism assessment walks through the process step by step.
