Discover the intriguing intersection of autism and ADHD, and how they create a unique neurotype experience. Hear about the challenges of following conventional advice that often feels irrelevant. Explore the inner conflicts many face as their body and brain demand contradictory needs. Delve into the fascinating characteristics of the autistic brain, like reduced neural pruning and sensory processing quirks. Finally, learn about self-defined success and how to flourish in your own way while advocating for neurodiversity.
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insights INSIGHT
AuDHD: Combined Neurotype Insight
AuDHD means having both autism and ADHD, which was once considered impossible to diagnose together.
Around 70% of autistic people may have ADHD, showing a strong overlap between the conditions.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Personal AuDHD Diagnosis Journey
Mattia's autism made some behaviors appear timely but with anxiety, while ADHD impulsiveness masked autism.
These differences hid signs, delaying diagnosis and shaping a unique neurotype experience.
insights INSIGHT
Autistic Brain Wiring Explained
Autistic brains develop with less neuron pruning, leading to hyper-connectivity and increased processing.
This causes sensory overwhelm and constant brain activity, making rest difficult.
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In June I'm reposting the most popular episodes from the show while I take a step back to look at the big picture (because my monotropic brain has trouble doing that while also pumping out new content).
AuDHD = autism + ADHD... and also I experience it as its own neurotype, and not simply two "disorders."
Here are the sets of questions I asked in the episode, if you'd like to take time with them on your own:
Do you feel like advice almost never works for you? Not only NT advice, but even advice from autistic OR ADHD people? That your brain either instantly knows advice won't work for you, or tries it and feels really disappointed because you did have a lot of things in common with the person who gave it to you but somehow still it felt like your body or brain were just not clicking with it?
Are the internal parts of you always fighting? Do you feel like the things your body and brain want are often in complete opposition and that it's literally impossible to get your needs met, because different parts of you want such different things to feel safe, regulated, and cared for?
Have you managed to build some modicum of success in an area through anxiety and adrenaline? This could be school, work, a creative pursuit, relationships. Have you received external validation for doing this thing well, all the while being absolutely terrified that it's all going to fall apart and you have no idea how to handle how your life feels and it all feels extremely precarious and painful at the day-to-day level? Do you feel the need to hide how much you're struggling, and/or if you've disclosed your struggles have they not been taken seriously?
Is your energy quite cyclical, where when you feel like your brain is working you'll push yourself really really hard, and then be totally exhausted and need time to recover? And without adequate recovery time, Is burnout, or burnout-like depression (they can be similar) a frequent experience for you? Or do you live in fear of it?
Thanks to Hanu Dixit for permission to use the song A Sitar Story.
AuDHD Flourishing