Autism

I do not like the term AuDHD.

I don't mind if that's how you want to refer to yourself or anything, but I think it adds noise when you try to socialize the concepts of autism or ADHD to the layperson.

It's an example where we've oversubscribed to labelling, to have a category for both when the word 'both' will do just as well. And you could say that it's just because of the high comorbidity of the conditions and, for sure, that's what it is.. but regular folks still trying to adjust their idea of autism a bit to just include Asperger's and having a hard time figuring that out.

And so I think it undermines efforts to advance cultural acceptance.

As an adult I think it would be rare for your doctor to diagnose you with either, especially out of the blue.

After seeing a therapist for years I finally said "I think I have ADHD" and she said that she agreed it was likely. I'm not sure if she mentioned autism before or after this convo but I was like lol there is no way I'm autistic. I apparently had no idea what autism was.

So I told my doctor I wanted a referral for a psychiatrist he just gave me a prescription for stimulants and made a referral. Like so many other people the meds let the autism shine 🌟

The mental healthcare system here is in the shitter so a few years later I shelled out for a diagnosis at a clinic. I indicated I wanted an assessment for ADHD and autism and was found to have both. One of the clinicians was like, "you're medicated???" so ended up getting my meds increased too lol.

ADHD is a lot more socially acceptable so maybe it happens first for so many people because it's easier to accept? I'm still not there with my autism diagnosis.

If you think you have it, it might be helpful to take some self assessment quizzes. I like this website: https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests/

I also like the Adult ADHD UK podcast. I listened to it in order and thought "oh wow I'm really like Sam" and then she gets diagnosed with ADHD...and then Autism. So that helped me see it too.

Is there friction? Yup. Allow me to communicate via memes

(I'll move the furniture and then cry because nothing is how it should be and everything is going to be impossible.)

Autism is a social skills disability. The social skills detriments are required. The repetitive/restrictive traits need 2/4.

https://thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ASD-Summary-Chart.pdf

The question you need to ask about this is, is it so bad that it interferes with your life or you've developed systems to avoid it interfering with your life? ie. is it a clinically significant impairment?

I'm not ADHD at all, just autistic, but I thought this info might help. Autism isn't the opposite of ADHD, because it's not really about your executive functioning. Although people who don't struggle with focus can still have executive function issues for other reasons, too.

So, a couple of things to keep in mind:

• ADHD and Autism are fairly closely related, and can have significant overlaps in how they present. Special interests, collections, and knowledge cultivation are not uncommon among people with either condition.
• Repetitive gestures can be very small things -- I rock gently, squish my toes, tap my feet, crack my knuckles, and rub my thumb along my fingertips , and I do all of these things without thinking about our noticing them. I wasn't aware I did any of these things until others called me out on them.
• Rituals are often incredibly informal, and amount to "I like schedules", "I like plans", or even "I have strong preferences". What things are are very difficult to identify by yourself, because they are just everyday life to you. It's not like OCD-style rituals.
• The reasons why you have difficulty doing things matter in things like this. Do you find doing your taxes painfully boring? Do you find them overwhelming? And if so, is it because you have too much on your plate?
• Sensory issues are a cornerstone of ASD diagnoses, and you don't mention having any. If you were to explore that option, it would come up. The issues do not have to be in any way crippling -- at least, not all of the time -- but they need to be there.
• Social impairment is another cornerstone, and remains central to the actual diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder, which you also don't mention. This is the thing that usually most directly causes disordered lives (though the sensory issues can cause real impairments, too).

You can't diagnose yourself. How you feel and how you really are aren't necessarily related.

In science, you can't even have another single person evaluate with accuracy. The standard is Double blind. So that you aren't influencing results and the person recording you isn't influencing you.