When I first started suspecting that I might be Autistic, I had strong doubts, for several reasons. As mentioned in my first blog article about the topic, I mentioned not wanting to self-diagnose a condition that is more often “officially” diagnosed. But I also just didn’t feel my experiences lined up quite right with the experiences of other Autistic people.

Eventually I moved past this feeling as I read more and more writings about being Autistic and saw that self-identification (vs diagnosis) is valid in the community. I could identify with some parts of the accounts of Autistic life, and because “if you have met one Autistic person, you have met (1) Autistic person” I decided that was good enough. But it took a while before the feeling itself got resolved.

Specifically, it took finding and analysing accounts of life from people who were both Autistic and ADHD to really feel like I “fit in” with the community. As time has gone on, I am increasingly certain that I too am both Autistic and ADHD.


For a full comparison of the two conditions and their overlap, check out these articles from the Embrace Autism blog:

I especially like the “Contradictions” section of that first article. This clearly articulates the messy middle of having two related but distinct conditions.


You thrive when there’s a set routine (autistic trait), but you struggle to plan and follow a schedule (ADHD trait)

I think this is why I am very successful in an office environment (for example) but struggle with cooking a meal. In the office I have a calendar, and when I am not in meetings I tend to be focused on a single task at a time. At the same time, I am always willing/able to switch tasks as needed, and do not (as often) build up a full Autistic “flow” state that is harder to turn away from. At home, with a task that requires multi-tasking to effectively accomplish, I end up forcing focus and taking twice as long (and doubling my stress due to perceived time pressure).


You find engaging in a special interest to be soothing (autistic trait), but you also need to jump between multiple interests to keep you engaged (ADHD trait)

I did this a lot when I was younger by checking out a dozen books on a topic one week, then a dozen books on a different topic the next week (while also reading fiction voraciously to fill the gaps…). As an adult it looks like binging various documentary series or going down the rabbit hole on youtube for a given topic before switching to a new one every few days or weeks.

My experience of Autistic people was mostly singular or limited special interests, so I wondered if my hundreds even counted as “special” (despite me knowing more on each of them than 99% of people). As I think more, I do have some broad categories of special interests like programming, science, and engineering that I have cycled back to over and over, and explored the fractal depths of experts to sate my ADHD drive for novelty.


You are meticulous with your plans (autistic trait), but sometimes you overwhelm yourself by making an impulsive decision (ADHD trait)

This is one that was a real sticking point for me. Autistic people would talk about being overwhelmed going to new restaurants or stores, and I just couldn’t understand it. For me, those new experiences were enjoyable enough that I turned them into challenges.

On the other hand, I do take ages to decide what to eat/purchase, especially in new environments. And once I have been to a new venue and chosen something, I tend to stick with it and rarely buy anything else.

For places/events that I do not feel prepared for, I do spend time researching and doing practice walkthroughs of before whatever event I was attending. This was especially true of new places like schools or jobs where I wanted to know where all of my classes (or facilities) were before I had my first day/shift.


Not a lot of conclusion here, just trying to be another voice in the world saying that it does look different when you have both conditions vs only one, and not to feel like a fraud.

You are just a more complex flavor on the neurospicy spectrum.


For more reading on the topic of Autism: click here