FAQs: The Basics
New here, newly questioning, or newly diagnosed? This page covers the terminology and most common questions people ask.
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1. What is neurodivergent vs neurotypical?
Quick answer: Two words for brains that are wired differently — neither is “better.”
“Neurodivergent” describes a brain that develops or works differently from what society treats as the default — an umbrella that includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. “Neurotypical” describes a brain that fits those default expectations. The bigger idea behind both is neurodiversity: the view that these are natural human variations, not defects. The term was coined by sociologist Judy Singer in 1998 (The Brain Charity, 2025; Cleveland Clinic, 2025).
2. What is Autism?
Quick answer: A neurodevelopmental difference in how someone communicates, senses, and focuses.
Autism shapes how a person experiences social interaction, sensory input, and interests. That can look like reading unspoken social rules differently, needing routine, focusing deeply on specific interests, and having heightened (or muted) responses to things like sound, light, or texture (WebMD, 2025). It’s present from birth: at the brain level, autism involves differences in connectivity (often stronger local connections and fewer long-range ones) and in synaptic pruning — the normal “tidying up” of extra brain connections in childhood (News-Medical, 2025; The Transmitter, 2024).
3. What is ADHD?
Quick answer: A neurodevelopmental difference in attention, activity level, and impulse control.
ADHD affects how someone regulates attention, energy, and impulses. It can show up as difficulty focusing (or intense hyperfocus), restlessness, forgetfulness, trouble with time and getting started, and acting or speaking on impulse (Autistica, 2025). Underneath, it’s tied to how the brain uses chemical messengers like dopamine and norepinephrine, which help regulate focus, motivation, and reward — so it’s a difference in regulation, not a lack of effort or intelligence (Attention Deficit Disorder Association, 2026; The Conversation, 2026).
4. What is AuDHD?
Quick answer: It’s shorthand for being both autistic and ADHD.
It’s not a third, separate condition. It’s a word the neurodivergent community made up to describe what it’s like to live with both sets of traits at once — because that combined experience is different from having just one (Child Mind Institute, 2026; Embrace Autism, 2024).
5. Is AuDHD an official diagnosis?
Quick answer: No — it’s a community term, not a clinical one.
You won’t find “AuDHD” in the diagnostic manuals. If you get formally assessed, your paperwork will list the two conditions separately: autism and ADHD. “AuDHD” is just a faster, friendlier way to say both (Child Mind Institute, 2026; Embrace Autism, 2024).
6. Can you be autistic and ADHD at the same time?
Quick answer: Yes — but the rules only changed recently.
Until 2013, clinicians weren’t allowed to diagnose both in the same person. The manual treated them as either/or. That rule was dropped, which is a big reason so many people are only now getting the full picture (Child Mind Institute, 2026; Medical News Today, 2024).
7. How common is it to have both?
Quick answer: Very common. You’re not a rare edge case.
Estimates vary, but research suggests a large share of autistic people also meet the criteria for ADHD. The overlap is far more common than the old “either/or” model assumed (Child Mind Institute, 2026; WebMD, 2025).
8. Why do I feel pulled in two directions?
Quick answer: Because some autistic and ADHD traits want opposite things.
The classic example: one part of you craves routine, structure, and sameness. Another part gets bored, restless, and craves novelty. That internal tug-of-war is one of the most recognisable parts of the AuDHD experience — and it’s exhausting when you don’t have a name for it (Autistica, 2025; Medical News Today, 2024).
9. What is masking?
Quick answer: Hiding or suppressing neurodivergent traits to seem “neurotypical.”
Masking (also called camouflaging) is when someone — consciously or automatically — covers up their autistic or ADHD traits to fit in: forcing eye contact, scripting conversations in advance, suppressing stims or fidgeting, hiding overwhelm. It can help you get through school or work, but it’s exhausting, and over time it’s linked to burnout, anxiety, and losing touch with who you actually are. It’s also a big reason so many people get missed for years (National Autistic Society, n.d.; Psychology Today, 2024).
10. Why is AuDHD missed so often in women?
Quick answer: The diagnostic picture was built on boys, and many women mask.
Traits often show up more internally — hidden overwhelm, private burnout, performed socialising. On the surface it can look like anxiety, perfectionism, or “high-functioning,” so the root cause gets missed. This is a huge reason late diagnosis is so common in this group (HeyASD, 2026; Sachs Center, 2026).
11. Is self-diagnosis valid?
Quick answer: Yes — self-recognition is a valid starting point.
Many people begin by recognising themselves, often through validated screening tools and other people’s stories. Research shows self-identification is frequently accurate. A formal assessment is one option — not a requirement for understanding yourself. You don’t need permission to take your own experience seriously (HeyASD, 2026; Seasons of Growth Counseling, 2024).
12. How do I get assessed as an adult?
Quick answer: A real assessment is more than a quick quiz.
A diagnosis usually includes an evaluation of your developmental history, a clinical interview, and validated tools — not just a single online test. Screeners you might meet first include the AQ, RAADS-R, CAT-Q (for masking), and the ASRS (for ADHD). Those are starting points, not conclusions (ADDitude, 2026; WebMD, 2025).
13. Does having both change treatment or medication?
Quick answer: Yes — support usually needs to account for both.
Medication can help with ADHD symptoms; there’s no medication for autism itself. Because the two sets of needs can pull in different directions, most people do best with a combination of support tailored to them, rather than a one-size-fits-all fix (Medical News Today, 2024).
Note: This page is for general understanding, not medical advice. If something in your life is causing distress and support might help, consider talking to a professional who understands both autism and ADHD in adults.
Sources
ADDitude. (2026, March 24). AuDHD: ADHD and adult autism symptoms, diagnosis & interventions for both.https://www.additudemag.com/adult-autism-symptoms-adhd/
Attention Deficit Disorder Association. (2026, April 23). Inside the ADHD brain: Structure, function, and chemistry.https://add.org/adhd-brain/
Autistica. (2025, October 21). ADHD and autism. https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-autism/adhd-and-autism
The Brain Charity. (2025, March 26). Neurodivergent, neurodiversity and neurotypical: A guide to the terms.https://www.thebraincharity.org.uk/neurodivergent-neurodiversity-neurotypical-explained/
Child Mind Institute. (2026, March 23). What is AuDHD? https://childmind.org/article/what-is-audhd/
Cleveland Clinic. (2025, December 19). Neurodivergent: What it is, symptoms & types.https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23154-neurodivergent
The Conversation. (2026, March 31). ADHD brains present unique challenges, but the condition is highly treatable — a primary care nurse practitioner with ADHD explains the science. https://theconversation.com/adhd-brains-present-unique-challenges-but-the-condition-is-highly-treatable-a-primary-care-nurse-practitioner-with-adhd-explains-the-science-230062
Embrace Autism. (2024, March 8). An introduction to AuDHD. https://embrace-autism.com/an-introduction-to-audhd/
HeyASD. (2026). Autism in women: Signs, masking and late diagnosis. https://www.heyasd.com/blogs/autism/autism-in-women
Medical News Today. (2024, October 21). AuDHD: When autism and ADHD co-occur.https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/audhd
National Autistic Society. (n.d.). Masking. https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/behaviour/masking
News-Medical. (2025, April 30). Study links impaired synaptic pruning to autism. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250430/Study-links-impaired-synaptic-pruning-to-autism.aspx
Psychology Today. (2024, January 31). Masking. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/masking
Sachs Center. (2026, April 27). The rise of AuDHD: Why high-masking women are finally getting the right diagnosis in 2026. https://sachscenter.com/the-rise-of-audhd-why-high-masking-women-are-finally-getting-the-right-diagnosis/
Seasons of Growth Counseling. (2024, November 29). Unmasking autism: 6 common experiences of late-diagnosed autistic women. https://www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com/blog/common-experiences-of-late-diagnosed-autistic-women
The Transmitter. (2024, October 1). New studies reveal how autism might alter synapse formation, pruning.https://www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/new-studies-reveal-how-autism-might-alter-synapse-formation-pruning/
WebMD. (2025, April 6). AuDHD (autism and ADHD). https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/audhd