I have had a few people tell me that "ADHD is on the spectrum". I wanted to make sure it was clear that while ADHD is a spectrum, it is not on the autism spectrum. It is a completely different spectrum. These are two disabilities that often get misdiagnosed with each other because they are very similar; however, they are also very different. I posted a lot of these pictures because I found them funny and relatable. I usually focus on autism on this blog, but I also have ADHD. I believe I am affected more by my autism, but they are definitely both challenging at times.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is a condition that includes attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. This is usually diagnosed during childhood and lasts throughout adulthood. A lot of people assume that this is all there is to ADHD. They see a child who cannot focus and is hyper and automatically assume that child has ADHD. It is not that simple for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD. I am going to go more in depth on some of the common symptoms of ADHD.
Impulsivity is one of the most common. This could be always wanting to try something new, getting angry very quickly, or impulsive buying. When I was younger, I would get frustrated very easily and yell if I did not like what was happening around me. I also went through a phase where I was shopping online a lot. I never really was excited to try different things due to being autistic, but that is another big sign of ADHD. Having a short attention span is another sign of ADHD. I have students with ADHD that will tell me all day they are bored and ask what they can do. I also struggle myself to stay focused on something. I have a hard time finishing shows or books because I start to get tired of having to focus even if I enjoy something. Poor working memory is another sign. I have an odd memory because I have both ADHD and autism. I can remember a lot of what happened, but I tend to forget when it happened. That is common when a person has both autism and ADHD, but if there seems to be no working memory, it is a sign of only ADHD.
Poor planning skills or disorganization are both signs of ADHD. This can fall into time blindness. If a person struggles to keep appointments because they lose track of time often, they could be showing signs of ADHD. This is a reason why autism and ADHD could not be the same thing. People with autism are the opposite. They love planning, organization, and are usually great with time management. It is possible to have both and in the case may be harder to notice in a person. I personally lean more on the autism side of this because I am very strict about time, but that is not always the case. It is important to know the difference.
Another sign of ADHD getting upset when a person is not stimulated enough. They want more things to be going on rather than to just be sitting and doing nothing. People with ADHD may have little sense of danger, which can go with impulsivity. When I was younger, I would try to jump out of moving cars or run away from the house when I was mad. I never went far, but it also never crossed my mind that something could happen to me. If a child seems to not realize what they are doing is dangerous, that could be ADHD. Making small mistakes is another sign of ADHD and this can be due to lack of focus. If someone seems to be very hard working, but often makes little mistakes, it could mean they have ADHD. This can often be overlooked because the person seems to be fine, so it is important to pay attention to what people are doing.
The last big sign of ADHD is lacking motivation for tasks you are not interested in. This can be similar to having a short attention span. People with ADHD have more trouble focusing on things they are not interested in, which can lead to lack of motivation. I'm sure most people are not interested in doing things they don't want to do; however, with ADHD it is actually draining and difficult. It is not as simple as just not wanting to do the task. People with ADHD may need frequent breaks because they cannot focus. They may also take longer to start a task because it is hard to find the motivation to start. This could also be when a task is too difficult. It may look like a student does not care to do the task, but they actually just don't know how to begin.
It is possible to have these symptoms and not have ADHD, but if someone is displaying a lot of these symptoms, they may want to get tested for ADHD. It is important to know the difference in just struggling with focusing and actually having a disability that makes it feel nearly impossible to get things done. I would recommend looking more into ADHD if you or someone you know suspects they may have it.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
I am pretty sure if you have read my blog, then you know what autism is, but I will review it. Autism is a developmental disability that can cause difficulty in social situations and behavioral challenges. Autism begins in childhood and is usually diagnosed throughout childhood. It can go undiagnosed at times, but it is still something that you are born with. Autism is not a social disability and therefore, there are a lot more symptoms of autism than difficulty communicating.
The first sign of autism I am going to talk about is taking things literally. I have a post about sayings that don't make sense that I feel like explains this. I always took expressions like "killing two birds with one stone" very literally. I would ask "why would you want to kill a bird?" and have to have the expression explained to me. People with autism often don't realize others are joking because they taking everything so literally. I always have to have things explained to me. The other day a co-worker told me that my student showed his butt. My responses was "really, he had it out?" She then told me that "showing your butt" meant to fall. I believe things like this are fairly common in people with autism.
Another big sign of autism is sticking to the same routine. I do the exact same thing every morning before going to work and I do it all in the same order. It calms me down to know it is the same every day. It is also common to get nervous when things change for autistic people. We do not like change. People with autism also love to plan. I believe I mentioned it before, but as a child my mom would have to tell me exactly what was going to happen before a vacation or I would be worried the whole time. I haven't changed. I ask a lot of questions before doing anything with anyone. Not understanding social rules is another sign of autism. This can kind of go hand in hand with me asking a lot of questions. Sometimes people with autism ask questions when it isn't appropriate. An example might be someone just told you their family member is in the hospital and you acknowledge it, but then start asking when they are going to get that stuff you needed. I realize it may not be socially acceptable, but it is hard for us as autistic people to remember that and we might mess up. I also know a lot of autistic people who say how they feel without thinking about it. For example if someone were to ask me if a shirt made them look fat, I would probably say yes if it did. I would assume they want my honest opinion. Social rules are very confusing for people with autism because we think very literally and say what we feel, while neurotypical people tend to communicate differently.
Noticing small details others do not is also a sign of autism. People with autism notice patterns in everything. I know cloud watching is a thing and people will try to figure out what the clouds look like. It is similar to that in the mind of someone with autism, but they notice patterns everywhere they go in fabrics or reflections. Getting upset when someone touches you is also a sign. This is often due to sensory overload, which is that stereotype you see on TV, where the character hates loud noises, bright lights, and being touched. My mom told me when I was little, I looked like I was in pain when she hugged me. I was very weird about people touching me and that is common in autism. There is also the opposite side of the spectrum where people love touch, sound and bright lights. It goes both ways. Picky eating can be another sign of autism and is often due to texture or routine. Some people do not like the texture of foods and others may just be used to eating what they know. I still eat like a child at times because it is what I am used to. Sensory issues are very common in autism.
The last main sign of autism is getting nervous about social situations. This is not due to who we are meeting. It is because internally we do not want to look weird or don't know what is appropriate to do or say. It may also be the fact that it is someone new and possibly a new place as well. That is extremely overstimulating for those of us with sensory issues. It is scary when we do not know if it will be too loud, too quiet, too bright, etc. I could already know the people I am going to see, but not know what the "social setting" is and come off rude. It is often really confusing for people with autism to do social gatherings.
It is also possible to have these symptoms and not have autism; however, if they are displaying a lot of them, it is a good idea to get the person tested. There is a lot more to autism than simply a social aspect. My other posts go more in depth about what autism is and there are other sources to look at. Do not ignore it if someone is showing symptoms of autism. They may be struggling more than you realize.
ASD and ADHD
People often mistake ADHD for autism or vice versa. It is important to know the signs of both that may overlap. One of the biggest signs of both is sensory issues. I talked about sensory issues in autism, but they can also occur in ADHD. That is a big reason these two disabilities get misdiagnosed with each other.
Hyper-fixations are another big sign of both autism and ADHD. People with autism may find a special interested and get so interested in what they are doing that they don't even hear what is going on around them. ADHD can look similar. A person with ADHD might be focused on a task and want to finish so badly that they are hyper-focused. They may not pay any attention to what is going on around them. Stimming is also common in both autism and ADHD. This tends to happen due to being happy, but it could also be comforting when either person is in distress. I believe stimming happens more due to being happy, but this can vary from person to person.
Talking a lot can also occur in both ADHD and autism. In both cases it is usually because we do not realize the other person is bored. In ADHD it can also be due to hyperactivity. In autism this can be due to finding a special interest and being able to go on about it all day, even if the person we are talking to seems uninterested. This can lead to it being difficult to make friends because people may find us annoying or think we are boring when we just don't know how to socialize. In both cases people also struggle to make eye contact, which might make us seem rude. In reality eye contact is just weird to a lot of us. People with both also may interrupt conversations a lot. We usually do not realize we are doing it, but it can still upset other people if they don't know that.
Emotional dysregulation is another common sign of both. I have been told I don't laugh when things are funny or that I laugh when I shouldn't be. My facial expressions often do not match what I am feeling and this is very common in both ADHD and autism. People with autism and ADHD may also be very rejection sensitive. This could be due to taking everything personally. I tend to do this without realizing it. I get very upset even if someone's tone changes because it feels like I am being rejected. I believe this is due to lack of understanding social cues. We may not realize that not everything is directed at us. A lot of the time I feel like things are directed at me just because the person is talking to me.
Lack of object permanence is a sign that I feel gets overlooked. This is usually more in childhood. This is the ability to know an object still exists even if it is not in a person's sight. People with autism and ADHD may struggle to understand the concept of this. They may believe that if an object is not visually in front of them, then it is gone. Executive dysfunction is also a sign of both. These are the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral difficulties a person may face. This can also lead to being overwhelmed easily. People with both autism and ADHD also may not feel motivated by how important things are. They often will not feel the need to prioritize anything if they do not feel like doing it. People with both of these also may experience sleeping problems because they struggle to be calm.
If you notice any of these signs there is a good chance a person may have both autism and ADHD. Everyone is different and will experience different symptoms. I hope this helps as a guide to understanding the differences and similarities in autism and ADHD. They can look very similar, but they are not the same disability. They have different struggles and should not be overlooked. Make sure you are doing as much research as possible before seeking out a diagnosis. Feel free to ask me questions about autism, ADHD, or anything else you might have questions about related to these things!
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