Is ADHD a Form of Autism?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) share many commonalities. Up to half of children with ASD have symptoms of ADHD, and a quarter of children with ADHD will have symptoms of ASD.
Despite the overlap between ADHD and ASD, there are distinct differences, and I will highlight five central ones here:
Whereas children with ADHD have difficulty focusing on one thing for an extended period (unless interested), children with ASD can much more easily become overfocused.
Children with ADHD may also have difficulty remaining still, unlike those with ASD.
Many children with ASD have a low tolerance for change. What this means is that children with ASD rely on routines and can be rigid thinkers, for instance, such as taking the same route to school each day or eating meals at the same time. This doesn't occur like this in ADHD
Children with ASD are also often highly sensitive or perhaps insensitive to their five senses, such as light being seen, noise, touch like pain, taste, or smell. What this could mean for children who have ASD is that tags be cut out of clothes or that food is cooked and delivered in a particular manner. This isn't true for children with ADHD to the same extent or the same level of commonality as with ASD.
Children with ADHD may have a lot of energy, but children with ASD, instead of generalized "high" energy, might demonstrate repetitive movements like rocking back and forth or flapping their hands.
While ADHD and ASD are both neurodevelopmental disorders, meaning the brain is being affected and symptoms can overlap, the two conditions are different. ADHD is not a form of ASD.