Journal · Neurodivergence · 8 min read
AuDHD: when autism and ADHD overlap
You crave novelty and need routine. You hyperfocus and cannot start. You are told you are too much and not enough, sometimes on the same day. If you live with both autism and ADHD, this is for you.
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Harjeet Hayre
Integrative Psychotherapist · BACP Registered Member · NHS-experienced Reviewed September 2026 · About Harjeet
Two conditions that were not allowed to coexist
For decades it was impossible to be diagnosed with both. The DSM-IV listed autism as an exclusion criterion for ADHD, so clinicians had to choose one. That changed in 2013, when the DSM-5 allowed, for the first time, a dual diagnosis. Everyone assessed before then and many assessed since, may have had half their picture missed.
The National Autistic Society notes it is quite common for autistic people to also receive an ADHD diagnosis and that this is sometimes called AuDHD. AuDHD is not itself a diagnosis. It is shorthand for two.
How common is it?
A meta-analysis of 63 studies found that around 38.5% of autistic people currently meet criteria for ADHD and 40.2% do at some point in life. Some reviews put the range as high as 50 to 70%, though they note estimates in the literature vary enormously. A large Spanish school study found something more troubling: of children who had both conditions, only 15.8% had been diagnosed with both.
The push and pull
Autism and ADHD can work against each other inside one person. One part wants sameness, predictability and depth; the other wants stimulation, change and speed. The result can feel like being at war with yourself and it often looks from the outside like inconsistency, which it is not.
The cost of being missed
A 2026 UK study of 46 women diagnosed with both autism and ADHD in midlife found the same story again and again: dismissal by professionals, waits of more than a year for assessment for over half and almost no follow-up afterwards. Only six of the 34 who had been diagnosed had any ongoing support. An earlier survey of more than 1,500 autistic adults found 94% had experienced anxiety and 83% depression, while only 14% felt adequate services existed locally.
That gap, between the assessment and any actual help, is where my neurodivergent-affirming therapy sits.
What therapy has to do differently
Standard therapy often fails neurodivergent clients not because it is wrong but because it is unadapted. A lived-experience-led consultation with specialist therapists identified the adaptations that matter.
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More collaboration and explicit agreement about how sessions will run.
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Support with emotional literacy: naming what is felt, without assuming it is obvious.
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Literal, explicit language and fewer metaphors.
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Consistency and reliability: same time, same format, no surprises.
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Sensory accommodation, whether that is lighting, a camera-off session or walking outdoors.
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Using special interests as a resource rather than treating them as a distraction.
Add the ADHD side, where NICE recommends structured, supportive psychological work with regular follow-up and the shape of good AuDHD therapy becomes clear: steady, explicit, flexible on format, affirming of both profiles at once. For many of my clients, walk and talk therapy in Kew is the format that finally works: movement for the ADHD, no eye contact for the autism and sky for everyone.
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If rejection and criticism hit you unusually hard, my article on rejection sensitive dysphoria may help. If you are running on empty, read about ADHD burnout.
Yes, since the DSM-5 in 2013 removed the rule that prevented it.1, 2 In the UK, assessment for each is usually separate.
Around four in ten, according to the largest meta-analysis, with some reviews reporting higher figures.4, 5
No. It is community shorthand for having both diagnoses. It is widely used because it captures an experience that neither label alone describes.
Sources
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Leitner, Y. (2014). The co-occurrence of autism and ADHD in children: what do we know? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 268.
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Hours, C., Recasens, C. and Baleyte, J.M. (2022). ASD and ADHD comorbidity: what are we talking about? Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 837424.
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National Autistic Society. Related conditions.
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Rong, Y., Yang, C.J., Jin, Y. and Wang, Y. (2021). Prevalence of ADHD in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 83, 101759.
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Hours et al. (2022), as above.
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Canals, J. et al. (2024). Prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of ASD and ADHD comorbidity (EPINED). Autism Research, 17(6).
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Wills, V. and Chakraborty, R. (2026). Experiences of adult females with late diagnosis of ASD and ADHD in the UK. Healthcare, 14(2), 209.
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National Autistic Society and Mind (2021). Good practice guide for mental health talking therapies.
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Riches, S. et al. (2023). Adapting cognitive behaviour therapy for adults with autism: a lived-experience-led consultation. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 16, 13.
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NICE (2018). ADHD: diagnosis and management (NG87).
This article is general information from a registered psychotherapist, not medical advice or a diagnosis. If you are in crisis, call 999, NHS 111 and select the mental health option or the Samaritans free on 116 123.
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