What does AuDHD mean?
AuDHD is a term used in neurodivergent communities to describe people who have both ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and Autism Spectrum Condition. It's not an official clinical diagnosis — you'd receive two separate diagnoses — but the term has gained widespread use because it accurately describes a particular experience that feels distinct from having either condition alone.
Until 2013, the DSM-IV (the US diagnostic manual) explicitly prevented clinicians from diagnosing both ADHD and autism in the same person. This was based on an assumption that the two couldn't co-exist. That restriction was removed in DSM-5 and is not reflected in current ICD-11 criteria either — and research since then has confirmed that co-occurrence is not only possible but remarkably common.
How common is AuDHD?
Studies consistently find that between 50% and 70% of autistic people also have ADHD, and a substantial proportion of people with ADHD also meet criteria for autism. The overlap is so consistent that some researchers have proposed shared genetic and neurological underpinnings between the two conditions.
Despite this, many people with AuDHD receive only one diagnosis — usually whichever condition is more obvious at the time of assessment. The other frequently goes unrecognised for years, sometimes decades.
The unique internal conflicts of AuDHD
What makes AuDHD particularly challenging isn't just having both conditions — it's that ADHD and autism often pull in opposite directions. This creates internal conflicts that are hard to explain and harder for others to understand.
Routine vs novelty
- Autism craves sameness and routine
- ADHD craves novelty and stimulation
- Result: rigid routines that constantly get disrupted by your own impulsivity
Hyperfocus vs distraction
- Autism enables deep, intense focus on areas of interest
- ADHD makes it hard to start or sustain anything
- Result: either fully absorbed or completely unable to engage
Social overload vs social craving
- Autism makes socialising exhausting and confusing
- ADHD can create a need for stimulation and connection
- Result: wanting social contact but being depleted by it
Organisation vs executive function
- Autism may drive need for order and systems
- ADHD makes maintaining those systems very difficult
- Result: elaborate systems that collapse, followed by shame
Signs you might have AuDHD
There's no single checklist for AuDHD — you'd be looking for a combination of ADHD traits and autistic traits. Some patterns that commonly appear together include:
- Extreme difficulty starting tasks, but inability to stop once deeply engaged
- Strong need for routine that you repeatedly fail to maintain
- Social exhaustion, but loneliness when alone for too long
- Sensory sensitivities alongside a need for sensory stimulation (e.g. loud music to focus)
- Emotional dysregulation that feels both impulsive (ADHD) and related to feeling misunderstood (autism)
- Intense special interests pursued with ADHD-level hyperfocus
- Simultaneous need for predictability and boredom when things are too predictable
- Feeling like you don't quite fit in either the ADHD community or the autistic community
Why AuDHD is so often missed
Several factors contribute to AuDHD going unrecognised:
- Diagnostic overshadowing — when one condition is identified, clinicians may attribute all difficulties to that condition rather than looking for a second one
- The masking effect — people who mask well may not appear to meet criteria for either condition during a single assessment
- Assessment focus — many ADHD assessments don't screen for autism, and vice versa
- Historical restriction — the old DSM-IV rule meant a generation of clinicians were trained that dual diagnosis wasn't possible
Could you have AuDHD?
Our adaptive quiz screens for both ADHD and autism traits simultaneously, and identifies when both are indicated — suggesting an AuDHD profile.
Take the free assessment →Getting an AuDHD assessment
There's no single "AuDHD assessment" — you would typically receive separate ADHD and autism assessments, either at the same service or at different ones. The key is to ensure both are assessed.
When approaching your GP, explicitly mention both ADHD and autism. Say: "I'd like to be assessed for both ADHD and autism — I believe they may both be present." If you only mention one, that's likely all that will be assessed.
Some services assess for both simultaneously. Privately, a comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment covering both conditions typically costs £1,200–2,500.
For more detail on the assessment process, see our guides to ADHD diagnosis in the UK and autism diagnosis in the UK.
Living well with AuDHD
A diagnosis of AuDHD allows you to understand your brain as a combination of two distinct neurotypes, each with its own needs, strengths, and challenges. This understanding is the foundation for building a life that actually works for you rather than against you.
Many people with AuDHD find that strategies designed for neurotypical brains — or even strategies designed for ADHD or autism alone — don't quite fit. Working with a therapist or coach who understands both conditions can be transformative.
The AuDHD community is also growing rapidly, with active communities on Reddit (r/AuDHD), TikTok, and Instagram where people share strategies, validation, and humour about the unique experience of living with both.