AuDHD (Autism & ADHD)
Ever feel like you relate to both autism and ADHD, but don’t quite fit the “textbook” description of either? You might be AuDHD — a term that’s gained popularity among people who experience traits from both conditions.
AuDHD isn’t an official diagnosis you’ll find in medical books. It’s more like community shorthand for “Hey, my brain does both the autism thing AND the ADHD thing, and sometimes they work together in weird ways.”
The thing is, autism and ADHD overlap way more than people used to think. Many of us naturally relate to both, whether we’ve got formal diagnoses or not.
You might recognise yourself in this combo if you:
- Have intense sensory experiences — maybe you’re super sensitive to some things but actively seek out others
- Feel things deeply about fairness — injustice literally makes your brain itch
- Struggle with transitions — even small plan changes can throw your entire day off
- Hyperfocus then crash — you’ll disappear into something interesting for hours, then feel completely drained
- Need alone time to recharge — even if you genuinely love people, socializing can be exhausting
Living with AuDHD traits can be amazing and challenging at the same time. Your brain probably comes up with creative solutions and sees things others miss. But navigating a world that wasn’t designed for how you function? That can be genuinely exhausting.
The tricky part is that AuDHD often flies under the radar, especially in adults, women, and marginalized folks. We get really good at masking or compensating, which means we might not get the support we need until we’re completely burned out.
If this sounds like you, know that you’re not alone, and you’re not “broken.” You’re just navigating the world with a beautifully complex brain.