Meet Mattia Maurée, a neurodivergent individual with both ADHD and autism. Hear about the blend of routines and novelty, the challenges of accurate diagnoses, the impact of stigma, misunderstood experiences, and the importance of community. Explore the overlap of autism and ADHD, the struggles of being twice exceptional, and the significance of finding a supportive community for AuDHD individuals.
Autism and ADHD can coexist in individuals, desiring routine and novelty simultaneously.
Receiving accurate diagnoses for neurodivergent individuals can be difficult due to overlapping symptoms.
Stigma and misunderstandings towards neurodivergent individuals can lead to discrimination and mistreatment.
Deep dives
Understanding Autism and ADHD Intersection
The podcast delves into the intersection of autism and ADHD, known as Audi HD, where individuals exhibit traits of both conditions. The host, Mattia, shares her personal experience of managing the conflicting aspects of routine-seeking from autism and novelty-seeking from ADHD. She highlights the challenges of misdiagnosis, such as being mistakenly labeled with bipolar disorder due to overlapping traits, emphasizing the complexity of navigating dual conditions.
Giftedness and Twice Exceptionality
Mattia discusses her giftedness and twice exceptionality, revealing her struggles growing up with a high vocabulary that led to misunderstandings and bullying by adults. She reflects on the challenges of having a 'spiky profile,' excelling in some areas like academics while facing difficulties in executive functioning and time management, which impacted her social interactions and organizational skills.
Stigma and Misunderstandings in Neurodivergent Diagnoses
The episode addresses the stigma surrounding neurodivergent diagnoses, particularly the misconceptions about autism traits like stimming and communication difficulties. Mattia shares a personal encounter of facing ableist judgment in a workplace performance review due to exhibiting low affect, highlighting the importance of raising awareness about neurodiversity to combat harmful stereotypes and improve understanding.
Community Support and Understanding
Mattia advocates for the power of community support for neurodivergent individuals, emphasizing the profound impact of connecting with others who share similar experiences. She underscores the value of being in a space where individuals can express their challenges freely and feel deeply understood, highlighting the significance of social connection and empathy in navigating neurodiverse identities.
Overlapping Traits and Diagnosis Value
The podcast explores the complex overlap of neurodivergent conditions, such as autism and ADHD, shedding light on the challenges of distinguishing between different diagnoses due to shared traits. It emphasizes the evolving perspectives on diagnostic labels and the importance of providing tailored support based on individual needs rather than solely relying on diagnostic categories.
Closing Remarks and Call to Action
In the closing segment, the host acknowledges the value of audience feedback through ratings and reviews to support the podcast's mission of promoting neurodiversity awareness. The episode concludes with gratitude towards the guest, Mattia, for sharing her insights and experiences, encouraging listeners to engage in discussions about neurological diversity and the complexities of dual diagnoses.
There’s a new term circulating in the neurodiversity community, AuDHD. Today, Emily Kircher-Morris is talking with Mattia Maurée, a neurodivergent individual with both ADHD and autism. They talk about how the two diagnoses blend together, one side desiring routine and sameness, while the other seeks novelty and change. They also discuss the challenges of receiving accurate diagnoses, the impact of stigma on neurodivergent individuals, how career pathways are affected, Mattia’s personal experiences of being misunderstood and judged, and the importance of community. The conversation covers many other subjects as well, and it’s all part of episode 226.
Takeaways
ADHD and autism can coexist in individuals, with one part of them desiring routine and sameness while the other seeks novelty and change.
Receiving accurate diagnoses for neurodivergent individuals can be challenging, as the symptoms of different conditions can overlap and mask each other.
Stigma and misunderstandings surrounding neurodivergent individuals are pervasive and can lead to discrimination and mistreatment.
Being twice exceptional, with both ADHD and autism, can result in unique challenges and experiences, including being misunderstood and judged by others.
When Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a factor, it can lead to difficulties in regulating the nervous system, and can have a significant impact on daily life.
Finding a career that aligns with one's interests and strengths is crucial for neurodivergent individuals.
Community support and understanding are essential for neurodivergent individuals to thrive and feel deeply understood.
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Mattia Maurée is an AuDHD coach and host of the AuDHD Flourishing Podcast. Creative outlets in music and the arts became Mattia's refuge through a childhood full of unpredictability. Confronting trauma sparked an interest in the topic, and it led to their Autism diagnosis in their 30’s, as well as finding somatic neurodivergent-friendly methods of working through depression and anxiety. They now share their experiences to give hope to queer, trans, and neurodivergent youth and young adults through coaching, and embrace the philosophy of “feel better first.”
