ADHD, Autism, Both, or Neither? A Clinical Psychologist on Working Out What Actually Fits
If you've spent any time on TikTok or Instagram lately, you've probably caught yourself thinking "wait, is that me?" more than once. Maybe it was a video about ADHD. Maybe it was about autism. Maybe both. And now you're not sure which (if either) actually explains what's going on for you.
You're not alone, and the confusion is real for a reason.
In our latest video, our clinical psychologist Dr Catherine Jones answers the question we hear constantly: "Do I have ADHD, autism, both, or something else entirely?" This is a written companion to that conversation, with the key takeaways laid out so you can scan, skim, or come back to the bits that feel relevant.
Why ADHD and Autism Get Mixed Up
Both are neurodevelopmental conditions, and on the surface they can look strikingly similar. People with either diagnosis often experience:
Difficulty focusing
Sensory sensitivities (touch, sound, light)
Struggles with routine or change
Feeling socially different to other people
So if you're sitting here ticking those off, your confusion makes complete sense. The traits overlap. The descriptions overlap. But what's driving the experience underneath is often quite different.
What's Actually Different Underneath
Catherine's clearest framing was this:
With ADHD, attention is inconsistent. It comes and goes. With autism, attention is often very hyper-focused, and it can be hard to shift from one thing to another.
Same outward struggle ("something is off with my attention"), different mechanism. That's exactly the kind of distinction a good assessment is built to dig into.
Broadly speaking
ADHD is more associated with:
Inattention
Impulsivity
Restlessness
Autism is more associated with:
Differences in social communication and interaction
A preference for predictability
Very focused interests
But (and this is the bit that trips a lot of people up) real people don't fit neatly into those boxes.
"I See Bits of Myself in Both"
You might:
Crave structure but struggle to maintain it
Want social connection but find it exhausting
Be both easily distracted and capable of hyper-focusing for hours
If that sounds like you, you're in very good company. It's exactly why the question "which one am I?" is so difficult to answer on your own.
Yes, You Can Have Both
ADHD and autism co-occur frequently. A lot of people are diagnosed with one and only later realise the other also fits.
There's a biological reason for this. Both conditions involve overlapping brain structures and developmental pathways, so when things develop in a particular way it can lend itself to ADHD traits, autistic traits, or both.
This is especially common in adults who've spent years masking and adapting, often without realising they were doing it.
"Neither" Is Also a Real Answer
This bit matters, and it doesn't get said enough.
Sometimes the answer isn't ADHD or autism. It might be:
Another neurodevelopmental condition
Anxiety or depression (depression genuinely affects focus; anxiety makes social situations harder)
A trauma-related response
Differences in personality, stress, or life circumstances
Struggling with focus, or finding social situations hard, doesn't automatically point to a specific diagnosis. What matters is the impact on your life, not whether you tick a few boxes from a list.
The Instagram Problem
Catherine flagged something we see a lot: confirmation bias.
When you learn about a condition (especially one that sounds relatable), you naturally start spotting the traits in yourself. It's the same brain quirk that means once you buy a particular car, you suddenly see that car everywhere.
The more we look for something, the more we tend to find it.
This isn't us dismissing what you're noticing. Self-recognition is often the first step toward an accurate diagnosis. But it's why isolated symptoms ("I lose focus, so it's ADHD") aren't enough on their own.
What a Clinician Actually Looks At
A diagnostic assessment isn't a checklist. We're looking at three things:
Pattern over time, including back into childhood
Multiple areas of life (school, home, work, relationships, social settings)
Functional impact: how much it's actually getting in the way of the life you want
That third one is the key. Lots of people have traits. A diagnosable condition is when those traits are consistently making life harder across multiple settings.
Where to Start If You're Unsure
Catherine's advice was refreshingly practical: start with what feels most prominent to you.
If ADHD traits are louder, begin there. An ADHD assessment can give you clarity, and from there you can decide whether to explore further.
If both ADHD and autism traits feel equally impactful, you can ask about a joint (dual) assessment that looks at both in the same process. It's more complex and takes longer, but for some people it's the right route.
There's no single correct order. The goal is to get you closer to understanding what's actually going on.
After the Assessment: It's About the Whole Picture
A diagnosis is useful. Getting one (or finding out it isn't the right fit) can be a huge relief and can finally put a name to years of struggle.
But the diagnosis is the start, not the finish. What matters next is:
Your mental health
Your physical health
Your life context and the support around you
The label helps. The plan that comes after the label is where life actually starts to get better.
Final Thoughts (For When You Still Don't Know)
If you've watched the video, read this far, and you're still not certain where you fit, that's completely fine. From Catherine:
Sometimes you start with what's impacting you the most. Stay open-minded. Take it step by step. Understanding yourself is a process, not a one-off decision.
Even a clear diagnosis won't capture the full texture of how ADHD or autism shows up for you specifically. Two people with the same diagnosis can experience it completely differently. Working out what helps you is its own piece of work, and it's worth doing.
Want to Talk to Someone?
If you're considering an ADHD assessment, an autism assessment, or a joint assessment, our team at Attention to Health can help you work out which one makes sense as a starting point. You don't have to have it figured out before you get in touch.