Stimming/fidgeting Difficulty focusing/distractibility Difficulty initiating tasks Creativity Strong emotions; struggling with self-control Not seeming to listen when spoken to Potential hyperactivity or talkativeness Poor coordination Unusual eye contact Social difficulties Sensory or auditory processing issues Intellect which has difficulty expressing conventionally (such as at school) Secondary anxiety/depression

Autistic people may daydream or “tune out” when they’re disinterested or are overwhelmed by sensory needs, and may not necessarily look at what they’re paying attention to (like with conversations). [6] X Research source Without external distractions, their focus is closer to average. They may, however, focus intently on one thing more often and have trouble moving their attention elsewhere. [7] X Research source People with ADHD are more likely to daydream or “tune out” even when they’re genuinely interested - they may become distracted by their own thoughts. Other things, like people walking past an open door, may also distract them. [8] X Trustworthy Source Child Mind Institute Nonprofit organization providing evidence-based care for children with mental health and learning disorders and their families Go to source Both autistics and people with ADHD can hyperfocus, but people with ADHD often struggle to hyperfocus if they’re not passionately interested, which is not necessarily the case with autism. [9] X Trustworthy Source Child Mind Institute Nonprofit organization providing evidence-based care for children with mental health and learning disorders and their families Go to source

Autistic people may not complete a task because they don’t know how to do it, or because it doesn’t fit into their routine. They may need to have schedules or lists to know what to do and how to do it. [10] X Research source Someone with ADHD might not complete something because they forget to do it, get distracted by their thoughts or something nearby (like seeing something moving out the window), or procrastinate for various reasons - like disinterest in the task or not knowing how to start. [11] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source ADHD can result in messiness and misplacing things; the person might often forget where they’ve put something, or not be able to find it. They may feel like they can never finish cleaning up no matter how much they try. [12] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source While autistic people can be messy, it’s not universal, and they’re not as likely to forget where things are. People with ADHD may be constantly late to events and forget to bring important things. [13] X Research source This is not as common in autism. Hyperfocus in both autism and ADHD can result in the person losing track of time and forgetting to do something, including self-care.

Autistic people are more likely to “infodump” about their interests and fascinations, and talk quite a lot about them. When discussing topics unrelated to their interests, they may not be as talkative. A person with ADHD might be extremely chatty in general, and talk when they’re not supposed to. [16] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Mental Health Informational website from U. S. government focused on the understanding and treatment of mental illness. Go to source They may also change subjects or bring up things that seem completely unrelated to others, but make sense to them. (However, not everyone with ADHD is talkative. ) Autistic people may have speech delays or difficulty with speech that can make it difficult to communicate verbally, or temporarily lose the ability to speak under stress. This is not present in ADHD. [17] X Trustworthy Source Understood Nonprofit organization dedicated to resources and support to people with thinking differences, such as ADHD or dyslexia Go to source

People with ADHD are more likely to be restless and fidgety for no apparent reason, and they might feel the urge to get up when they should stay seated. They may also shift positions constantly, swing their legs in their chair, pick at their cuticles, or fidget with their hair or things in their hands. [18] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Mental Health Informational website from U. S. government focused on the understanding and treatment of mental illness. Go to source [19] X Research source Autistic people often move around to handle sensory feedback and prevent sensory overload, as well as express their emotions. Their fidgeting may seem more ritualistic or repetitive compared to general fidgetiness, like flicking their fingers or spinning in circles. [20] X Research source Both autistics and people with ADHD may fidget or stim to concentrate. They may also stim to express excitement or nervousness.

Autism often becomes more obvious under stress, like with more expectations or major life changes (like moving house). An undiagnosed autistic person may be diagnosed later in life due to inability to keep up with expectations or demands. ADHD may become more prominent as the person ages, due to increased demands. For example, they may struggle with the jump to middle school, high school, or college, or have difficulty with keeping a job or steady relationships.

Autistic toddlers may be late to speak, engage with other people, or potty-train. Later in childhood, they may show difficulty with learning skills like tying shoes, riding a bike, or adapting to more work in school. Teens and adults might struggle with driving, going to college, moving out, or working a job. Not all autistic people are developmentally delayed. Some will reach milestones at the anticipated pace, or even hit them early. People with ADHD may need more time to learn organizational skills and impulse control, but they typically reach childhood milestones at the expected pace. [25] X Research source However, they may come across as immature to their peers due to impulsivity, emotionality, and disorganization. [26] X Trustworthy Source Child Mind Institute Nonprofit organization providing evidence-based care for children with mental health and learning disorders and their families Go to source [27] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source

Stacking, sorting, or lining up toys Focusing on one part of a toy and ignoring the rest of it Reduced or no “pretend play” or roleplaying Repeating or acting out scripts from books, movies, or TV Repeatedly playing games the same way Solitary or parallel play when peers have started playing together Lack of symbolic play (this is when one object represents something else in play)

Unusual eye contact (e. g. too little or too much, or faking it) Odd or no use of nonverbal cues (pointing, gesturing, etc. ) Unusual voice (pitch, monotone/singsong, etc. ) Trouble with nonverbal communication (body language, facial expressions, sarcasm, subtle hints, tone of voice) Not grasping unwritten social rules (personal space, when to speak in conversations) Trouble expressing one’s thoughts and feelings Facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language that doesn’t match with what they’re feeling Difficulty figuring out what others are thinking and feeling, or in more extreme cases, not understanding that others have different thoughts/knowledge/feelings Speech quirks (echolalia, pronoun reversal, very formal or simple speech) Being nonspeaking, or temporarily losing speech, especially under stress

These interests can be about anything - bands, locations, TV shows, castles, various diseases in history, or so on. [34] X Trustworthy Source Austistic Self Advocacy Network Nonprofit organization run by and for individuals on the autism spectrum that empowers autistic people through education and public advocacy Go to source [35] X Trustworthy Source Understood Nonprofit organization dedicated to resources and support to people with thinking differences, such as ADHD or dyslexia Go to source

Consistency is common in autism. For example, they may order the same food every time they visit a specific restaurant, because they know they like it. Change, such as a favored menu item no longer being available, may be deeply distressing. An autistic person may resist changes to their routine, even if the change would have minimal to no effect on the result (like drinking out of a different cup). The change feels wrong and distressing. [38] X Research source Someone with ADHD isn’t likely to resist.

Meltdowns may look like tantrums at a glance; they might involve crying, yelling, and throwing themselves to the floor. Some autistic people may injure themselves (like hitting their head or biting themselves), and some might behave aggressively towards others, like pushing. [40] X Research source On the other hand, some autistic people experience shutdowns instead of meltdowns, where they become very passive. They may temporarily regress and lose abilities, temporarily lose all speech or have trouble talking, and withdraw. Meltdowns and shutdowns are not unique to autism and not every autistic person experiences them, so pay attention to other signs too.

Making and/or overlooking obvious mistakes Procrastinating or avoiding tasks (like homework, paying bills, or things that require sitting still or extended focus); constantly doing things last-minute Daydreaming constantly Leaving many projects incomplete Drifting from task to task Struggling to focus, even if they want or need to Taking on more tasks than they’re capable of Relying on multitasking to complete things - or, alternatively, being completely unable to multitask

Impulsive behavior can also be physical, like a child who jumps off the couch onto the glass coffee table or a teenager who hits or pushes someone. People with ADHD may be impatient, and have trouble waiting for things. This isn’t as common in autism. [44] X Research source Teens and adults with ADHD are more likely to struggle with substance use than autistic people or people without ADHD. [45] X Research source [46] X Research source

Overlooking social cues (e. g. not seeing someone roll their eyes) Interrupting or talking over others, or “butting into” conversations Blurting out inappropriate comments Talking more than others, and/or trouble letting others speak Changing subjects often, sometimes to the confusion of others Trouble focusing on conversations; getting distracted, losing themselves in thought Trouble remembering important things (like other people’s names or birthdays) Responding emotionally to things (like screaming excitedly or snapping at others) Constantly volunteering to help out with things Difficulty remembering to respond to texts or follow through on plans Having constant excitement or drama in their social circle Being a “social butterfly” or “life of the party”

This can lead to difficulty with professional or interpersonal relationships - for example, children with ADHD might be bullied for crying easily or hitting peers, and adults with ADHD may be short-tempered or easily irritated with others. [53] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source People with ADHD may be viewed by others as immature, overdramatic, hot-headed, “crybabies”, or overly sensitive.

Nonverbal learning disability (which shares traits with both ADHD and autism) Sensory processing disorder or auditory processing disorder (conditions often co-occurring with both ADHD and autism) Learning disabilities (sometimes co-occurring with ADHD) Obsessive-compulsive disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder Anxiety (whether generalized or social) Bipolar disorder Social communication disorder Hormonal imbalances or thyroid problems Giftedness in children

Try to read from a variety of autistic people and people with ADHD. Autism is a vast spectrum, and there are three types of ADHD (hyperactive-impulsive, inattentive, and combined) that can look different. Both autism and ADHD present differently in girls, and people of color may not be diagnosed until later in life. [55] X Trustworthy Source Child Mind Institute Nonprofit organization providing evidence-based care for children with mental health and learning disorders and their families Go to source [56] X Research source [57] X Trustworthy Source Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network Nonprofit organization providing community, support, and resources for Autistic women, girls, nonbinary people, and those identifying as other marginalized genders. Go to source

Try to think as far back as you can remember. Subtle signs of autism or ADHD may have showed up in habits that didn’t stand out (such as swaying back and forth, always having a messy backpack, or having trouble speaking under stress). Try talking to people who knew you or your loved one in the past, or see if you can find old records that might indicate how you or your loved one behaved (such as report card comments). This can help fill in any blanks. Your ability to get an accurate diagnosis will partially depend on your ability to produce anecdotes describing certain symptoms. Reflecting and being prepared will increase your chances of an accurate diagnosis.

One study suggests that around half of autistic people have been diagnosed with ADHD as well. [59] X Research source Similarly, about a quarter of people with ADHD show some signs of autism. [60] X Research source Both autistic people and people with ADHD have similar genetic quirks. [61] X Research source

If your child receives a diagnosis, remember that they can hear you (even if it looks like they aren’t paying attention). Vent your frustrations or fears when they are out of earshot. Children shouldn’t be worrying about adult problems to an extent, especially if they might think that it’s their fault. Be skeptical about fear-mongering rhetoric, such as Autism Speaks ads. These may make it sound like disability will ruin you and your loved one’s life. This is not true. Scary words are effective at fundraising, but that does not tell the whole story.

The Autistic and ADHD community are usually open and welcoming to people who have self-diagnosed after lots of research because diagnosis can be incredibly expensive, sometimes inaccurate, and inaccessible. You will be welcome in the community, but you can’t get therapy or accommodations without a doctor’s note. Teachers, babysitters and other caregivers can help with noticing signs. However, they can’t make an official diagnosis. You’ll need to see a specialist.