ASD and ADD

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So how do you know if someone who is autistic has ADD too?

Social problems and stims are fairly obvious in autism and don't exist in people with ADD (they say). So you can diagnose someone with an original ADD diagnosis as being autistic. But what of the other way round?

What's in ADD that doesn't make an appearance in autism? I suspect I may be ADD too, thus the question.

I would dispute the notion that social problems and stims don't exist in ADD. I have ADD...(not diagnosed with AS, but have symptoms)...Have spent years reading books about ADD...ADDers definitely have social problems...and even NT's stim...

um..lets see....there is a difference...i just have to think about it....

I know, that as an ADDer I have difficulty adhering to routines....I eat a wide variety of foods...I am very disorderly and all-over-the-place...and those sorts of things seem to stray from AS stereotypes a bit...

I consider an ADD diagnosis of a person on the autistic spectrum merely a misdiagnosis of the lack of attention we have for activities that aren't our hobbies - I don't think anyone on the spectrum presents with clear inattention when he or she has spent a lot of time with his or her hobbies/obsessions. The hyperactivity part of ADHD is the direct opposite of ASD, it's just bad science calling our lack of attention ADD. Then again, psychiatry doesn't really care much about whether there's really something called ADHD, they just want to prescribe drugs whenever they can and tell people that stimulants are a good way of treating attention problems.

Uhm, dear you, with that seriously complicated name: It's interesting to hear that people with ADD have stims and social problems too.
What you described, the difficulty to stick to routines, the disorder all over the apartment is something I know too. At times. It's like I waver between these extremes, which confuses people a lot. Me too.

Well, this is exactly where you got my wondering, Fedaykin. I lack attention even when I turn to that which I'm interested in at times. And half of the time I have no problem focusing on topics that don't hold much interest to me. I'm hyperactive too, at times. I may get up on Monday and have a very very bad autistic day, but when it's Monday afternoon and I go out, I'm suddenly becoming hyperactive and I am annoying everybody because I can't focus on anything.

There seems to be a difference between by what an autistic person is distracted and by what a person with ADD is distracted. Someone told me that autistic people are distracted by something inside them (?) and a person with ADD is distracted by things that surround him?

Anybody knows what is meant by that?

My opinion is that we tend to be distracted easily by sensory perceptions even though we don't want to, while people with ADHD get distracted by opportunities at doing more stimulating activities. We focus on our activity but have a hard time keeping distracting sensory stimuli away, while the ADHD'ers just don't have any focus at all, they can only stick with an activity if it's immediately rewarding.

I wonder how scientifically accurate that is, because I think you explained it quite well. It sounds right to me.

I think it is like the difference between being distracted by say your all-encompassing interest, and say being distracted by the colour of the pattern of the wall paper (this is a vast oversimplification of course).

When I get distracted it's nearly always that I am pulled off task by something on/in/from my mind rather than something around me.

For me it is usually a combination thereof....

I have the ADD attention issues and a very scattered mind, difficulty organising certain things, but I have stims, I get stuck on the same foods, same clothing, order certain of my things etc... so, I don't know?
In the USA, from what I was reading last night, they do diagnose co-morbid ADD and AS, but not here in the Uk.

That's confusing....that you can be co-morbid in the US, but not in the UK....Do they recognise the connectedness/similarites between the two?

As leery i am of self-diagnosis...I think that whatever it is that I have that causes me to be (ahem) completely obsessed with this message board....is definitely related to what causes the other people on this board to have their symptoms..

From what I've heard, people with autism frequently do meet the qualification for ADD. I think I remember a lecturer mentioning this at the National Autism Conference I attended back in August.

I just find it all very confusing.
I am to be assessed soon, but what to I say lol ?
That I suspect I have AS and ADD? Many psychs are right up their own backsides and dislike it if someone has done their research and decided they are such and such... I wonder, how do you broach it without sounding as if you are looking to have a label etc?

Hi! I dont normally post here, usually in the parents board. My 8yr old son has been going thru the evaluation process at the moment. They told me yesterday that they have finished with all the info they need for autism/as, but as yet wont tell me. They now want to get to the original diagnoses which was/ is adhd. Im not sure what more they could want his entire life has already been disected. lol. Im not sure where one thing starts and anther ends so perhaps I should explain him a little. J's big interests are computer games and playstation games his focus is so intense he forgets to eat and pee (till of course the last minute lol) he talks non stop about his games in minute detail one thing he does do is not sit or stand still whilst he's playing. He jigs around sqwerms(cant spell sorry) moves with the characters jumps when they jump etc. He is extremelly sociable but...and its a very big But very inappropriate will tell people exactly what he thinks very literal very in your face and very sensory aware. He can focus for long lengths of time on something he has an interest in however whilst doing this he is either wriggling or talking or both (doesnt matter if anyone is listening he talks to himself) I have read that alot of as people dont make or dont like to make eye contact. J is very conflicting with this sometimes he does make perfect eye contact, sometimes he stares straight thru you and other times he wont look at all. This is obviously just a small portion of J's senario but I think this is where the first diagnoses came in and part of why he is now being tested for autism. Hope this helps a little.

What makes you think that ASD is always without co-morbids? Speak for yourself. I am ASD co-morbid ADHD and I can tell you it is not bad science more lack of people who understand what both are like together. The attention problem is still happens when you are focusing on your obsessions, it is frustrating. It is true that ASD patients can respond very differently to drugs. I have been experiencing this myself. I don't respond to stimulants, in fact some of the even make me drowsy (surprisingly the one that used to treat narcolepsy), I'm very resistant to the drugs in general. I'm on the highest dose for my weight under normal guidelines for Straterra (non stimulant NRI). It is only just beginning to show signs of working, will likely go up to then next dose. I’m not about to throw in the towel.

There are 3 clinical types of ADHD (5-6 in terms of scan presentation). Only one of them is of the types is purely hyperactive. I agree it is a misleading term. But I don't think you should make an unqualified statement either. ASD can have the hyperactive type as well as the mixed or the pure inattentive like me.

Believe me I wouldn’t take any drugs if I didn't have to. I don't take anxiety drugs because I have my own coping methods, which were actually far more effective. Many psychiatrists don't even know about ADHD or ASD, especially in adult treatment. But the drugs do actually help for some people; it is not always a conspiracy.

Last edited by 0_equals_true on 05 Oct 2007, 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

You can be co-morbid in the UK