3 ms·

I don't have numbers handy, but the last time I looked the overlap of people with ASD that also have ADHD is...pretty substantial (The inverse is not -- it's st

by chrsig 5y ago

I don't have numbers handy, but the last time I looked the overlap of people with ASD that also have ADHD is...pretty substantial (The inverse is not -- it's still a common comorbidity, but not nearly skewed as much) So if you have an autistic person that's inattentive, I believe the chances are they'll get both diagnosis.

R0b0t1 5y ago
It's also the case that not being able to focus in social situations leads to an aura of aloofness and disconnectedness. I've met plenty of people with an ADHD/autism diagnosis who have no problem reading people. They just don't have friends for whatever reason, which gets them put in the autism box.
- chrsig 5y ago
  > I've met plenty of people with an ADHD/autism diagnosis who have no problem reading people. They just don't have friends for whatever reason. I fall into this category. Building and maintaining friendships is hard, because you need to be able to give time to your friends on a reliable basis -- which is very hard. If I'm having a day where I'm sucked into something, I wont want to stop doing whatever that is. Another big contributing reason is that with being very unreliable with communication because it's trivial to forget to respond, and the NT folk tend take that personally. It's also hard to maintain focus when being involved in a conversation that isn't that engaging...And having poor impulse control and emotional regulation means that it's easy to go from perfectly calm to overwhelming frustration and back in a blink of an eye...which tends to freak people out quite a bit. There's a lot of ways that the disorders impact personal relationships between people.
  - bratwurst3000 5y ago
    Same here. I can read people but the lack of atention and the fast switching between discussions is putting people of. Also big problems connecting with people. I just dont answer or engage socially to the point that people find me antisocial. Another problem is the energy I have and reflect upon others. They just think I am agitated or nervous. But inside i am super cool….thats just me ….. btw adderal helps a lot but still ….do i want to be someone who is only workable with medicine?
    - steveklabnik 5y ago
      Regarding your last paragraph… it’s a struggle for sure. Here’s where i personally am at, dunno if it will help you or not. I have needed glasses to see since I was a young child. While I could get Lasik or whatever and not need them anymore, I would never think to myself, “do I want to be someone who is only workable with glasses?” There are multiple options and all of them are okay.
      - bratwurst3000 5y ago
        Thats a good point. Thank you. I have to reflect upon it but this angle is interesting
        steveklabnik 5y ago
        You’re welcome. I did/was/still struggle with it myself too. We are constantly bombarded with shitty attitudes towards this stuff, and it is very hard to unlearn IME.
        spiralx 5y ago
        Would you judge a diabetic person for taking insulin? That's a somewhat similar situation, but it doesn't have the stigma of mental health attached to it, and there most definitely is such a thing. Your brain is part of your body and bodies can be born with all kinds of issues which we try to fix through science and medicine, whether it be an issue with your dopamine or with your insulin.
organsnyder 5y ago
I wonder how much of that might be due to under-diagnosing. Perhaps people presenting with ASD traits are more likely to be seen by a psychologist, and therefore more likely to get diagnosed with ADHD at the same time? (of course, it could also be the reverse of this) I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was a junior in college. I kinda knew I had it for some time before that (my ACT score vs my GPA was a good starting point...), but managed to survive without feeling the need to get treatment. Interestingly, I do have a sister and two nephews on the autism spectrum, so perhaps there are common genetics at play.

by chrsig 5y ago

R0b0t1 5y ago

It's also the case that not being able to focus in social situations leads to an aura of aloofness and disconnectedness. I've met plenty of people with an ADHD/autism diagnosis who have no problem reading people. They just don't have friends for whatever reason, which gets them put in the autism box.

chrsig 5y ago
> I've met plenty of people with an ADHD/autism diagnosis who have no problem reading people. They just don't have friends for whatever reason. I fall into this category. Building and maintaining friendships is hard, because you need to be able to give time to your friends on a reliable basis -- which is very hard. If I'm having a day where I'm sucked into something, I wont want to stop doing whatever that is. Another big contributing reason is that with being very unreliable with communication because it's trivial to forget to respond, and the NT folk tend take that personally. It's also hard to maintain focus when being involved in a conversation that isn't that engaging...And having poor impulse control and emotional regulation means that it's easy to go from perfectly calm to overwhelming frustration and back in a blink of an eye...which tends to freak people out quite a bit. There's a lot of ways that the disorders impact personal relationships between people.
- bratwurst3000 5y ago
  Same here. I can read people but the lack of atention and the fast switching between discussions is putting people of. Also big problems connecting with people. I just dont answer or engage socially to the point that people find me antisocial. Another problem is the energy I have and reflect upon others. They just think I am agitated or nervous. But inside i am super cool….thats just me ….. btw adderal helps a lot but still ….do i want to be someone who is only workable with medicine?
  - steveklabnik 5y ago
    Regarding your last paragraph… it’s a struggle for sure. Here’s where i personally am at, dunno if it will help you or not. I have needed glasses to see since I was a young child. While I could get Lasik or whatever and not need them anymore, I would never think to myself, “do I want to be someone who is only workable with glasses?” There are multiple options and all of them are okay.
    - bratwurst3000 5y ago
      Thats a good point. Thank you. I have to reflect upon it but this angle is interesting
      - steveklabnik 5y ago
        You’re welcome. I did/was/still struggle with it myself too. We are constantly bombarded with shitty attitudes towards this stuff, and it is very hard to unlearn IME.
      - spiralx 5y ago
        Would you judge a diabetic person for taking insulin? That's a somewhat similar situation, but it doesn't have the stigma of mental health attached to it, and there most definitely is such a thing. Your brain is part of your body and bodies can be born with all kinds of issues which we try to fix through science and medicine, whether it be an issue with your dopamine or with your insulin.

organsnyder 5y ago

I wonder how much of that might be due to under-diagnosing. Perhaps people presenting with ASD traits are more likely to be seen by a psychologist, and therefore more likely to get diagnosed with ADHD at the same time? (of course, it could also be the reverse of this) I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was a junior in college. I kinda knew I had it for some time before that (my ACT score vs my GPA was a good starting point...), but managed to survive without feeling the need to get treatment. Interestingly, I do have a sister and two nephews on the autism spectrum, so perhaps there are common genetics at play.