What is AuDHD

What is AuDHD

It seems like a good idea to clarify what AuDHD means.

AuDHD refers to someone who has a diagnosis of Autism and a diagnosis of ADHD.  As with Autism and ADHD, individuals may identify as AuDHD without any  diagnosis or a combination of clinical diagnosis and self diagnosis. 

The term is not a diagnostic label but I am among those people who find it helpful as a way of naming my particular neurodivergent profile.

Why are fewer people recognised as AuDHD?

In part this is because it is complex and can seem contradictory.  But also because autism and ADHD were only recognised as coexisting  in the formal diagnostic sense since 2013 so there’s a lot of catching up to do!

But isn’t there a crossover between Autism and ADHD experience anyway?

It can be confusing because there are overlapping experiences  such as sensory differences, intense focus on areas of interest, processing speed, rejection sensitivity, executive functioning challenges, emotional dysregulation, social challenges,  issues with eye contact, which can contribute to both ADHD and autism.  But when they both occur the result can look different – maybe inconsistent with one form dominating at different times and circumstances, with additional layers to unpick and  maybe even mutually masking each other.  There are so many variation, permutations and unique presentations.  

That’s why coaching rather than training is so valuable because everything is focused on  you as an individual – your unique profile – gaining clarity, insight, awareness and understanding with dual outcome of increased self compassion and empowerment – whether that is through self advocacy or making better choices, managing challenges playing to your strengths.   

There are also many secondary challenges which emerge as a  result of their neurodivergent experience shared by those with autism, ADHD and AuDHD, for example low self esteem, relationship difficulties, high levels of stress, overwhelm, shut down,  low mood, anxiety, perfectionism, procrastination, a sense of never achieving your potential whether academic, or career related.

You don’t know what you don’t know

The biggest challenge really is having the awareness to recognise all of these different elements at play in your life and to recognise how you are being affected.  The clichéd phrase ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ is just so true.  We live our lives from the start trying to fit in, to adapt to our environment, to catch up, to do better.  We are constantly trying to change who and how we are according to the feedback we receive from our environment whether this is our family, friends, teacher, employers.  We have an underlying sense of feeling different somehow without being able to finger on what this is or why.  We feel on the periphery of situations where are head is telling us we should feel happy and relaxed amongst kind, safe family or friends.  Without any effort we develop a  self critical narrative which plays in our head constantly, talking to us in a way we would dream of talking to anyone else.  Catastrophising, low expectations of ourselves and others, anticipating everything that could go wrong before it does butt against almost an over confidence in our abilities at times.

Flipping the script

The good news is that recognising our unique neurodivergent profile means that understanding and acceptance empowers us to drop ignorant or poorly informed expectations around what is ‘normal’ and how we are expected to respond or behave, think or feel.  This is not about doing whatever we like at a cost to others, but it is about recognising what works for us and if it isn’t causing others direct pain allowing ourselves to be that true authentic version of ourselves.  

Strengths based narrative

AuDHD and neurodivergent thinking has the potential to offer so much to the world - truth, being direct, creativity, passion, enthusiasm, energy, an active mind, active body, deep reflection, identifying  problems and inconsistencies, finding solutions in unexpected ways, double empathy, strong sense of social justice, hyperfocus, making impact, developing specialist knowledge… none of these lists whether related to challenges or strengths is exhaustive.

When you apply logic to the situation it is obvious that for the world to keep developing, to adapt, to change, to create, to invent new experiences, processes, art, technology it’s the brains which differently that are likely to take the lead.

The world needs neurodivergence.   And I see my role as helping everyone value and embrace neurodivergence and not fear it, whether you have a personal interest or not, but actually who doesn’t need to know more about neurodivergence?  I know I’m still learning. .