Hi Chris and Debby! I was wondering if you have a list with sources you quoted throughout this video. I found the info compelling, and as someone who just got diagnosed with both, I'd love to do some reading! Thanks for the wonderful content.
OK, Chris. Daily activities category. Which style gets frustrated trying to figure out how to open packaging, so rips it apart, or attacks it with a knife, destroying packaging, to get inside quickly? (Hint, this is me, and my grandmother. Think pure autistics would study it, and get a pair of scissors to carefully open package).
Here's another. School days category. Which style, while growing up, regularly got sent to the Principal, or got "in trouble", often ending up by having to stay after school for detention (or sometimes suspended)? (Most neurodiverse adults I know experienced this, so I suspect it's both, but I'm AuDHD, so hard to say. Chris, and everyone, what do you think?
Did you know that people cannot truly multitask? Our brains cannot fully focus on one thing at a time. When people “multitask” what they are really doing is switching their focus back-and-forth between tasks.
My personal experience tells me that this is not 100 % right. As I was young at work, I could easily talk on the phone to patients and continue to handel blood in my laboratory. I think that this is possible when the handy tasks are simple and so long traint to be completly automated (without need of 🧠)
Yes. Its commonly known that multitasking is actually switching quickly and seemlessly between tasks. So no, its incorrect to say there is no such thing as multitasking.
It depends whether the tasks use the same brain function or not. It is very easy to multitask when one is cooking AND having a conversation. Trying to have a conversation while doing work with words would be impossible.
It's difficult trying to understand the overlaps, especially when some traits are in conflict. For example, needing structure and routines (Autism), and at the same time having a spontaneous aspect (ADHD). For me, assuming I have both (not 100% sure yet), it seems to result in an additional layer of confusion about what I even want in the first place. I love and need routines, but also hate them. For me, Autism ultimately seems to win that battle most times, but it still leaves me with an internal conflict.
I get it! I was diagnosed ADHD in my mid-20s, almost 30 years ago. Mostly ignored it until my late 40s, and autism wasn't on my radar at all until a year ago after discovering folks like Chris here. Autism would explain so much about me that ADHD doesn't but I'm still debating whether I need or even want a formal assessment, and so far I've not figured out who I could see for this. But overlaps and conflicts and routines... I desperately want (and almost certainly need) routine, but I've never been able to achieve it. I obsess over analyzing and planning routines but the few times I've actually managed to implement a plan, it lasted a few days at best. This is one of my greatest frustrations in life because surely everything would go a lot better if I was deliberate and consistent, but indecisiveness and weak execution foils me every time. Lots of other conflicting traits, but yeah, the routine thing is a bummer.
I have both, plus PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance). I'm a nanny. My current job has been one of the best ever because it is a mix of both structure and some flexibility. I have to get the kids from school every day at a certain time. Dishes and laundry have to get done daily/weekly. But depending on the kids homework and extracurricular activities that change every few weeks, I get to take them out to wherever we want after school. Fridays alternate between extra projects at the house or taking the kids to a movie or whatever. Some things are routine. But it's not all strictly routine or rigid. And both kids are also AuDHD. So we take turns with meltdowns and outbursts. I have a better grasp of my limitations and don't necessarily have meltdowns around the kids. But occasionally I might yell or tell them to stop or be quiet briefly when I'm overwhelmed. But together we manage. I get them on a level most people never will. And they have parents who get it. I could never survive a desk job.
One of my most obvious (now) overlaps shows up in art. For 30 years I was always amazing at any instrument I picked up, on a purely technical level. But since I was so good I got pushed to higher level music classes that included jazz improv and writing songs, and I completely collapsed under the weight of the pressure to create something new. Two of my boys are constantly engaged in playing pretend, but you have to know what you're looking at to realize they script each other. They play act as superheroes, and I'll hear one tell the other "and now you say 'I'll save you!' And if the other kidlet doesn't follow script it all falls apart. Trying to explain to people the concept of needing "structured creativity" is exhausting, but outside observations by those who don't know what they're looking at inevitably end in "but that's normal" and just... nah, not quite.
@shellier1172 I can relate to that too. I have had piano lessons for about 11 years as a child and became quite good, but as soon as my teacher suggested improvising, I flat out said no. I can't do it. I just can't. So yeah, I thrive on structured creativity. Once a friend and I had to write a small poem for some kind of party game and he just started rhyming on the spot. And I was like 'how do you do that without making a plan of what you're gonne say first' because I thought making structures for everything was normal.
As someone who also has both, I could relate to every single one of these! It's such a great feeling...I'm a 45 year old female who was misdiagnosed with Bipolar in my early 20s, then again misdiagnosed with Borderline in my mid 30s (although, my symptoms did fit closely with BPD, and I'm glad that happened because the treatment for it really helped me in my evolution and my self-improvement), finally got a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD in my late 30s, and only in the last year was I made aware of the fact that I am one of those females who were overlooked as a child when it comes to getting an ASD diagnosis. My little sister more closely (but not completely) fits in with the typical presentation of ASD symptoms, and with her husband and son, there's no doubt. So, it never occurred to me that I might also be on the spectrum. Finally understanding why I've always been the way I am is so freeing! It means I wasn't just a difficult, dramatic, demanding, scatter-brained, talented, frustrating young lady with a perfect memory and wasted potential, who can also be really weird sometimes but at the same time, "clean up real good" and participate appropriately with grown up humans with neurotypical brains. And I'm not a weird lady-hermit who sometimes participates in conversations appropriately and sometimes talks nonstop, changing the subject and interrupting others, or boring people to death with my info dumps because once that train leaves the station... I must finish the thought or else, well, or else my head might explode? Instead, it means that I'm a normal, low-support needs, high-masking woman with ADHD and on the spectrum. I feel like my whole life I was a Martian who closely resembled a normal human enough to pass as one, but knew I wasn't actually a human but didn't know I was a Martian and instead felt like a failure of a human, but then finally found my people. I dunno. I think that's the easiest way that my brain can explain it. I feel like I belong!! ❤❤❤
@Cainmak I discovered last year that I am Autistic (and I suspect ADHD), and after months of research, I’ve come to the conclusion that it must be really boring to be neurotypical ;) My Neurodivergent strengths are pretty awesome and explain why I am so good at my chosen profession. It also explains why I’m good at things I don’t necessarily enjoy doing, and why doing everything at once led to years of burnout-although I didn’t understand at the time what was happening. I’m currently in the process of refocusing my career on the bits I am passionate about and letting the rest go.
I would love to see a video that explains the exhaustion and conundrum of having both ASD and ADHD. So tired of people thinking my overwhelm is an excuse!
I was diagnosed with autism but I was told recently by my doctor that I also probably have ADHD. It has become more apparent as I have got older, he said because of the menopause hormonal changes make it more obvious in females later in life. I can relate to this video very well but I still think I’m more autistic.
Well, this confirms it: I'm definitely both (after wondering if I was either, hahahaha). I jump to this conclusion because of the sensory stuff (migraine-triggering smells, sounds. Clothing labels and seams (I wear stuff inside out if it touches my skin)), the hearing someone tell me something and having absolutely no recollection of what was being said (probably because I was in a train of thought) even though I responded as if 'noted', and the horror of social events I so want to go to but (now) realise I'll feel so uncomfortable once I get there. And finally, yes, totally agree that the world going on in my head is often so much more interesting (that's why painting and writing are perfect) than what is going on in the world around me. This last thing is probably the best explanation for sleep problems. Lights out, lying down and off we go with great ideas, plans, solutions, regrets and all that. Thanks for a great explanation. I have to say that since looking into all this asd and adhd stuff, I seem to be a lot kinder to myself. I didn't realise I was being mean to me before, hahahaha! but now I seem to be ok with being me. My 'difficulties' are not me being difficult, they are me.
This is great to hear. So many of us autistics aren’t fair to ourselves. We beat up on ourselves too much. It makes me feel good when I hear fellow autistics being nicer to themselves. It’s so important! We have a tough enough time as it is. Thank you so much for sharing!!😍😍
@@ChrisandDebby I agree with both of you. Felt like an alien all my life, trying to fit in - but never really did, and felt regularly judged. Thought I was inherently defective, on some level (think that's called "low self worth). However, when my therapist suggested my autism, in Oct 2023, and I looked into it - I couldn't believe how well I finally "fit". It all made sense. Began to accept myself, be gentler, allow "quirkiness" to be OK, and have found a wonderful large neurodiverse community (mostly online) - who can relate, and I feel comfortable with. I regularly thank my therapist. Am also grateful that since I'm retired (nearly 70), I no longer have to try to conform to neurotypical expectations in the workplace, or try to understand office politics, etc. Have my comfortable morning routines, non-human company, eat what I want, selective social interactions, etc. Much better!
My mom likely has ADHD, and my dad autism. I may have both, and I only learned this as an adult. I tend to grativate towards people with ADHD and autism, before I understood I likely have it as well. My first boyfriend was diagnosed with Asperger’s, and my second boyfriend was diagnosed with ADHD after we broke up. My husband shows signs of ADHD, and his mom shows, what I would say, is the most overt case of ADHD I’ve been around. Whenever I visit, I basically follow her around and make sure the stove isn’t left with pots boiling, that she doesn’t forget where she placed things, that all the priorities she’s juggling don’t fall into chaos, that abrupt shifts in conversation find their point, and so on. It is very exhausting, and I both relate to her but also get anxiety because I can’t ever just do one thing at a time with her and at some point I just shut down and become comatose and sleep for 12 hours (or get sick). It is so opposite of how I operate when I am by myself, and yet… familiar. With my husband and I, we get lost in our special interests to the point we neglect important things. Like, it can be a struggle to eat or do necessary life tasks when we both get stuck in our own worlds. Usually I pull out of mine first because I eventually get worried that he hasn’t eaten for 10 hours working on a project, and while it is perfectly fine that I don’t eat for 10 hours while I work on my projects, I can’t let him do that to himself, lol. But we can understand one another, and confronting the difficulties we share helps both of us in the long run.
I am a late diagnosed autistic and have known a few other autistic people. In my experience, I actually get really bored if I'm not multi tasking. I have to read a book while brushing my teeth, and if I'm watching a show, I have to be doing something with my hands, like a craft project (one of my hyper fucuses!) In high school I had to doodle in order to focus. I am a therapist and many of my clients are autistic... One kid can focus in school better if she's listening to music. So question 11 may not be as accurate. Love the episode over all!
I am diagnosed with both and I am a bit funny with this! Sometimes I focus better if I listen to Music but sometimes the Music might be overstimulating and it works better if I use soundproof headphones so everything is quiet.
Avoid social situations …(adhd “ers” ) because we have been criticized often for talking too much, too loud, wiggling etc and it takes a lot to mask or contain these too.
I'm an AuDHDer and usually it makes it extra hard on me (specifically hard on my Autistic side, like mentioned with routine and sameness VS novelty) but my Autism helps me with my ADHD in a few places, like memorizing things. I'm not usually one to be late because I forgot the time, or lose my keys and phone a lot because my Autism overpowered my ADHD and I put my keys or phone in the correct spot every time or I really kept up on my calendar as my routine and strong habit.
I used to lose my keys and phone a lot, but I also have started putting them and other things in the exact same spot. Whenever I get home, I have the same routine. It’s really helped me from going absolutely crazy! Good for you for sticking with your routines!! 🙌
@@ChrisandDebby Yes, visual cues, and routines, are really helpful. I put reminder notes on a certain bar stool I walk by, and "out going" items by the front door. Exact same spot is really useful, too. Even leave the light on over the stove, if there's something I need to remember (put food away, water heating on low, bread dough rising in oven - whatever needs being done before going out, coming home, or bed).
I would add stimming! People with adhd would be more likely to do normal looking stims bouncing their foot, fidling with a pen, when bored or to try to have an activity to keep their distractable mind busy while they try to focus. but someone with autism will have a lot more variety of stims and rely on them more to deal with change.
Huh, interesting. I got my ADHD diagnosis in my early 20s, but as I have been researching ASD for my husband and my son, I’ve begun to wonder a bit about myself. I would say the ADHD still tends to be stronger for me, but I remember it being commented on as a child that I had happy-flappy hands, for example.
Not necessarily true for ADHD to be able to mask their stims better... I pace the room a lot while intensely thinking/ activated, to release energy and be able to focus. Sometimes that's more socially acceptable, sometimes not. Then again, I'm both, so hard to say. I think eating can be a stim too, sometimes.
@@rjparker2414 pacing is definitely more socially acceptable in the sense that people understand that some people pace, it can aggravate them, but so does pen clicking and foot bouncing. However people don't understand what hand flapping is all about or why I need to touch everything to my lips.
@@steggopotamus OK, makes sense. I do extensive moving, touching, at home, and even thrashing around in bed before sleep - to unwind. However, guess I lucked out and learned what's "acceptable", i.e. masking, forms of stims while growing up. Would be painful to have a comfortable stim, like flapping, so negatively judged in "social" (neurotypical majority) situations.
Thanks so much for the encouragement!! We both learned a lot with this one, and glad to hear you liked it too! Please share with other people who you think could learn from this as well! 😊
I loved this format - one of my special interests is trivia/brain teasers. I got the memory one wrong, because I was thinking of working memory, too, which is often poor in autistic people. It turns out it's hard to remember a ton of information while constantly processing a ton of information. Who knew? 😂
1- AUTISM (might be ignoring your interruption to avoid being rude to you for interrupting me) 2- AUTSIM (and dyslexia) 3- NO 4- AUTISM - but I’ve learned to preserve my own energy and not do this unless asked. I felt generous, but realized no one cares. 5- AUTISM 6- AUTISM not habituating makes me protective if I’ve established a routine 7- nope not forgetful, aside from peri menopause 8- AUTISM not written listen, but picture or symbols 9- depends BOTH 10- AUTISM - forget to eat. Repetitive eating “habits”. 11- Autism I cycle through demands until they’re done. Non habituation is autistic. Have to turn music or talk down to concentrate 12- Autism 13- Autism
I love your videos so much. Most videos about autism and adhd are created by neurotypicals. They use big words and talk super fast. I love how you put words on the screen and make the videos interesting. I have ADHD and autism. Thank you for everything.
I watch videos like this and it makes me think I have both, I've only been diagnosed with ADHD though and I won't say I have anything I haven't been diagnosed with. But between the two it would better explain to me why everyone thought I had OCD when I was a kid. I only recently got diagnosed with ADHD.
Thanks to u i got my assessment including a EEG that showed I have bit ASD and ADHD. With a video u posted comparing and more half of the stuff, I thought it as Adhd it was ASD. I went decades of my life without suspecting I was autistic because I justified as ADHD symptoms. I'm such a newbie that I still can't distinguish between them.
Wow, it's so great to hear that our videos have been helping you and glad to hear that you're finally getting some answers! I was the same - really had no idea about how much was autism because of my ADHD too. The lines are really blurred sometimes (for me) on the impacts of each one because there's so much crossover. So learning about how they both are for you specifically will be a long process, but at least you are starting to begin that process now! Thanks again for sharing this and being here!! Hope more people can share this knowledge to learn and understand both of these better. And let us know if you have any suggestions for things you'd like to learn more about too! We like to read those to help us think what could help our community 😊
Hi there! I hope you don't mind me jumping into your conversation. Would you be so kind as to tell me how you went about getting your diagnosis, and if insurance covered any of it? I'm in a small town and am having a very hard time finding a provider. Thanks in advance!! 😊
Chris - I was diagnosed in 2015 with an immune deficiency disease called CVID. I JUST read yesterday that people with ASD are at risk for low immunoglobulins (antibodies) IgG, IgM and IgA (types of antibodies) and/ or low total IgG -( basically low immune system), and Immune Deficiency Diseases including....CVID!!! 😮 Conversely, people with ADHD tend to have HIGHER IgGs which are attributed to AUTO immune diseases!!
@Cheryl_Frazier I didn't know this, but I have IgA deficiency. Crazy. It's not really symptomatic, but I found out when they were running a ton of medical tests trying to diagnose all these symptoms I was having. Guess what? It was autism and ADHD, lol.
I’d say number 3 is both for different reasons. For some with ASD, back and forth conversation can be difficult and confusing leading to interruptions and not picking up social cues. People with ASD may also struggle to pick up when someone’s finished talking and end up talking over them. Def more common with ADHD but can also be part of the ASD diagnostic criteria as well.
Both for me. It was confusing before I realized that the reason a few of my autistic traits weren't as "strong" or bothersome because they were often overshadowed by the ADHD. The ADHD helps me accept change and makes me more adaptable in some cases. Great points here. Good to know all this and well done video!
I L.O.V.E.D this video! So fun, engaging and informative! I suspect I have AuDHD and am waiting to be formally assessed. This was so clear and somehow uplifting! Thank you 🙂
cool format! my autistic brain craves routines, and adhd makes them very difficult to implement and follow, but not for the spontaneity reason. i have inattentive-type rather than combined-type adhd, and my struggles with executive function are massive. rather than a conflict between a desire for novelty/spontaneity and a desire for structure/routine, my battle is about whether or not i can get started on the thing i was planning to do at the time i intended to do it. this grew into an entrenched procrastination habit that i have only recently begun to deconstruct with the help of behavioural therapy and adhd medication. also, i wasn't formally keeping track, but i think i got 100% on the questions, woo!
Mom of 2 (13 and 19 year olds) with both adhd and autism. The joys and challenges of raising kids with both are things that is tough to imagine without doing it. This video was so well done and really simplified (as much as a very very complex set of traits that show up in people with both especially) and summed it up well!!
Only just fully coming out as autistic. I never knew until now, aged 40. I have an adhd diagnosis but the autism is definitely more obvious to me now. I spent years in therapy thinking I was just an awful person, so relieved to finally have an answer and learn ways to cope better. White noise is where its at for me.
Thank you, this was brilliant! It made me suspect that l may have ADHD as well as being autistic. I didn't realise there were so many crossovers with the traits either but this video demonstrated them really well.
So glad this was helpful! And yes, there's SO much crossover between the two. Both of us learned a lot during the research for this as well! Let us know if you think of other categories you'd add for Round 2 in the future 😊
Love this fun format lol - feels like such a direct reflection of your personality and you look like you had fun filming this, which comes across. Suggestion: maybe next time dress up as different contestants ;)
Multitasking for me.... Is mastering Sudoku on the toilet.... Or singing entry single word if my favorite music (yes, it's a ten hour playlist on repeat and yes, it's been this artist I'm into now for the past 9 months😂😂😂), whilst I draw, paint and create.... Otherwise, if the novel ADHD overtakes the OG autism, I'm doomed. Projects like organizing our even laundry either do not get started, or will not get finished. Easily, I should say.... BOTH hurt my brain and cause physical sensations of pain betwixt the shoulder blades and up my neck. Not fun at all. Finally getting proper support from loved ones! It's never too late to know yourself and your needs. I find, the more you know yourself, the better prepared you will be for most of these things you mention! Thanks for another great video! I'm going to go process it all now, by watching it again and again😅
I love sudoku too - it's the patterns/ logic of it. People don't understand that it's got nothing to do with math (I'm severely dysnumeric/ dyscalculic). Can't do math (except money, usually), but I love sudoku and find it relaxing. Yes, sometimes the stress between one's ADHD and autism can be challenging.
@@rjparker2414 this is what I have been saying!! It's zero math.... The numbers are just symbols.. For me, they are in color, too (some of them)... I find them too be relaxing, as well. The puzzles really can take my anxiety down a notch or two sometimes... I spend a few hours a day brushing up my puzzle skills and feel I would be lost without this time
Wonderful video! Thank you for putting the things into words so I can share them easily with those I love to help them both understand me and possibly themselves too. ❤ The late diagnosed autistic girl who actually did get diagnosed with ADHD as a child in the 90s.
My daily routines for my forty year self are more relaxing and inner thoughts more entertaining than anything or anyone outside of those routines. With excellent perception and memory any odd sensation can "bug" me. On the flip side, I'm an excellent cook for my family; and go by sense of smell and visual textures instead of exact measurements, especially with spice rubs and sauces. It's a gift and a curse. I wish outside conversations did not speak very fast, and give time to think. It's hard to "read" people who are not literal straightforward and overuse sarcasm.
My husband and I learned so much from this video-except when it came to the parts when you asked: ADHD, Autism, or Both. He kept blurting out my name. Yup, we got a little neurodiversity goin’ on in this house. 🙃 We love your videos.
Oh my goodness every video from various autist and AuADHD I watch, it feels like my life and brain are making more sense now that I’m seeing so many instances in my life, past and present, that point to me being both ADHD and Autistic. 😎🤘🏼
Oooooohhh yes. Or I should say oooooohhh no, as in no, I absolutely CAN'T multitask. And I CAN'T have music playing with singing going on while I'm trying to do...well...ANYTHING, but especially any focused thinking, like reading or writing. There is a range of music that does, yes, help me when it's going on the background, mostly of a darker, melancholic, haunting sort. Think Faure and Ravel's "Pavanes," Debussy's "Reverie" and "Clair de Lune," or think the soundtrack to Shadowlands (with Anthony Hopkins), or John Doan's "Eire Isle of the Saints." Or there's a TH-cam video called "a playlist to read/study in your room (dark academia)" that I can just have going over and over again while I study. Or, finally, there's another called "SOLITARY SAMURAI - 10 HOURS - HANS ZIMMER - JAPANESE MUSIC RAIN MEDITATION" that I need to want playing every time I take a shower or, in general, when I just need to focus in a special way. As for interruptions breaking your focus and make it really hard to come back to them....ohhhh yes. There have been interruptions in my life that threw me off a passionate interest for...MONTHS. The whole prospect of trying to reconstruct that practically transcendent state of utter psychic immersion, a real union of being with whatever it is I was immersed in, seems like a hopeless Mount Everest to climb...a bit like picking up with telling the great love of your life how much she means to you after she stopped you midway to remind you that whenever you're done with what it is you're saying you have to run to the supermarket to get the turnips you were stupid enough to forget this morning. "Er, yes, dear, of course I will, but...but the thing I was trying to say was...uh...well, you know, maybe I'll just go get those turnips now."
Something I’d love to hear more about is actually those 10% of autistic people who don’t experience significant sensory differences. I most likely have adhd, but there are a bit too many asd traits that I relate to that are not shared with adhd, but since I don’t think I have sensory differences, I’m quite skeptical that I may have asd. Maybe I fall into the phenotype, who knows. I want to chase an assessment for adhd at least, cuz the executive dysfunction is being quite the challenge for me (my whole life, but specially now with job related issues) Another ‘funny’ thing about the ‘talks too much about interests’ thing. I can’t relate to that, but for specific reasons. If someone lets me talk about smth I’m fixating on, I can get so excited I literally start shaking. But generally, I never mention things I like because people don’t want to hear about this random fictional character. I’ve noticed that every single time I try to share something with my mother, she immediately shuts me down, and it hurts. So as an adult, I can barely talk anymore with people irl. When I interact with others, I just let them do most of the talking. It sucks, I know that, so when I’m hanging out with my (ND) friend, I let him info dump about the newest game he spent the night playing, and when I take a walk with my little brother, I let him tell me about pokemon for an hour straight, even if I don’t really care about the subjects.
Chris, I was diagnosed with an immune deficiency disease called CVID in 2015. I just read yesterday on Pub Med that people with ASD are at risk for low immune function and immune deficiency diseases, specifically CVID! 😮 People with ADHD tend to have overactive immune systems which are responsible for auto immune issues. Very interesting!
I just scratched surface of this a few weeks ago. Very interesting! I suspect I have low immune, as does my Son. Im ASD+ADHD, he is ASD & possible ADHD. They looked yrs now for autoimmune in me but nothing positive. My Mom is ADHD no ASD & she has 3 diagnosed Autoimmune. Ive had so many viruses, infections. I need to read more on it cause definitely interesting
@misscrazyness4288 It really is! What's also interesting is that if you have immune issues, it can mean low (hypo) immune (which puts you at risk for bacterial infections and sometimes viral infections, but also certain cancers and AUTO immune diseases) At the same time you can also have high (hyper) immune function which contributes to auto immune. In other words it's wonky all the way around!!
Probable autistic here. While lockdown was terrible for many reasons, I absolutely loved the fact that I had complete control over my schedule and environment. When I'm working at the office (4 days a week), one of my duties is reception, and it's SO HARD for me to get any work done on days where "my interruptions have interruptions." (Someone wants something from me, but then the phone rings, and while I'm on the phone the door buzzes and I have to deal with a technician, and then there's a delivery, and then someone needs to know where the mop is...) Those are the days I'm most likely to have meltdowns when I get home.
"A hyperlexic-like style of reading (HPL), defined as word decoding substantially better than reading comprehension, was found in an important minority of female school-age children with a diagnosis of ADHD." - unknown
I would like to share a comment about question eight. I am autistic, and I have aphantasia. For me, my ability to visualize is very restricted. I have an autistic friend who also has aphantasia, but he has absolutely no ability to visualize. It is true that autistics are stereotypically visual thinkers, but it definitely cannot be made as a blanket statement!
You are correct! My statements are from a general perspective, but there are exceptions- as you’ve mentioned. Every individual with autism is unique. Btw, I find aphantasia to be very interesting… partly because I’m such a visual thinker but I can’t visualize what it would be like to not be able to visualize. How do you think about objects in your mind?
@@ChrisandDebby I can create faint visualizations, from which I can cognitively process abstractly. It’s very strange, because I have figured out that I have visual memory, I am just unable to spontaneously access it. Also, if I can connect a visualization to another sense, I am more likely to be able to experience it. For instance, when I used to memorize a piece, I learned on the piano, I would be able to visualize the score in my head, but only because I could connect it to the sensation of the music in my fingers and the sound of it. Another interesting thing about folks with aphantasia is that we typically are able to visualize in dreams.
I know that it's common for some autistics to be visual thinkers but I do want to stress the correlation between apahantasia and autism as well. I have apahantasia and my visual-spatial cognition is so poor it affects me negatively in my daily life (I can barely figure out how to change a lightbulb). Not every autistic is a strong visual thinker and I dare say that's an old stereotype.
"ASD, Without accompanying intellectual impairments." Is what it says on the papers I got yesterday from the clinical psychologist that I saw. As well as secondary confirmation of adhd (28yrs) and ptsd (14yrs(which I don't ever need confirmation of ever again.) But reading what she wrote... at least things make a little more sense now. But it kind of shakes up how I thought I was starting to understand myself... and I'm not sure how to bring that up with my actual therapist... lol
It’s really good that you’ve figured out what’s going on in your brain. Relearning yourself is a bit of a process, but it’s super important. Life gets a lot better when you understand your limits and learn to be more accepting, accommodating, and patient of yourself. Sounds like you are well on your way!! Thanks for sharing!
I forget passwords all the time. I remember them by recalling the day that I set the password and work through my logic from that instance. When I get a password wrong, that's also my go-to. I first recall instances of resetting my password, then I select the right one and work through the logic to find my current password. This is obviously a bit taxing when you have to maintain several passwords, so I've found that handwriting them is the most secure method in today's world. A personal shortcut to reading them makes it so people don't know what they're even looking at.
Hey I know this game! I've been playing it since, say, age 3 or 4 or so all the way until now at 34! Surprisingly, I still don't feel like I'm very good at it...
Listening to music and singing the lyrics while simultaneously reading an email?? You're saying this is a common thing to be able to do?!? I can't even imagine being able to do this.
Assuming autistic people have to have rigid routines and won’t be spontaneous when over half of us also have ADHD is like assuming people with ADHD will be bouncing all over the place all the time and never focus well on anything when ADHD-PI, hyperfocus, and just maturing all exist! I fit all the criteria for autism except rigid routines, precisely because I also have ADHD-PI! 🤦♀️
I was told by my therapist that ADHD and Autism are going to be put under the same diagnosis in the next DSM. They apparently now suspect that they are the same diagnosis, and it's just a spectrum of different symptoms depending on the person.
I think that pop music is the perfect way to explain autistic routines to neurotypicals. People like pop music because they can latch onto predictable patterns and carry them into fun and exciting new patterns, but it never deviates to much without risking becoming prog rock (or name a genre). Most people love pop music. That's why it's pop music. But your brain loves that familiarity. Those same patterns over decades and decades. Those same four chords never get old. For an autistic, discovering new routines is like finding a new song or new favorite genre of music. Meanwhile, deviation can be like pumping prog rock into the ears of someone who only ever listened to Backstreet, N-Sync, and Britney growing up. Or playing Johnny Be Good to a high school prom a few years too early. ;-)
I think I'd add transitions. I know you mentiones changing tasks as being difficult for people with Autism, but transitioning isn't limited to physical switching of tasks for autistics. For me it's such a mental issue, it's impossible to turn of the rumination. I'll have song lyrics playing on repeat for entire days. The lyrics won't disappear almost no matter what I'm doing. Transitioning is kind of the easiest thing ever for ADHDers cause being distracted is sort of like a transition, and we do that effortlessly....and abundantly lol. At the same time though, I tend to have a suddle feeling of dread when I am distracted frequently cause I know there must be tasks half done all over the place, or worst, great ideas that are lost.
This was GREAT!! Thank you!!! Wait - is it even possible for people to have music (with words) on and read an email??!! 🤔 I'm a musician but I don't listen to music 😄 I can't think in a cluttery room, but sometimes I'm cluttery 😄 I have many different (and intense) sensory issues
I’m glad you liked the video!! Debby can listen to music while the tv is on and read and understand what she’s reading… and she can also write!! How?!!! I’m the same when it comes to rooms with clutter, but sometimes I cause the clutter. What are some of your sensory issues?
@@ChrisandDebby Debby is a super human! 😄 The list of sensory issues is long, but here are a few: *Tags in clothing *Seams on socks & clothes (I wear most clothes inside out at home) *Sleeves bunching up when layering *A random piece of hair on my bare arm AHHHH *Food textures:Okra, oysters, grizzle in meat 🤢 *Loud sounds *Repetitive sounds: clocks ticking, water dripping MISOPHONIA - Dogs licking - makes me want to run out the door screaming and jump into a giant hole
I’m with you on a lot of these. I put on my comfy pjs as soon as I get home. I cut off all tags on my clothing. I have so many pairs of the same tshirt because it’s comfy. I can’t stand when my hair tickles my forehead. Sometimes I have to wet it to make sure it stays away from my forehead. It makes me cranky when it won’t behave. Debby loves okra, but I can’t do it. The slimy part freaks my brain out. I know it’s good for you, but I can’t do it. I just finished filming a video about misophonia. I have it too. Sneezing and crunching sounds make me mad!! Really really cranky.
10:55 im only diagnosed woth adhd but i find i will hyperfixate on like 2-4 meals at a time before i just get sick of it and cant stomach it for months, and the meal moves on. Idk what that means for adhd people thi
My son and I are both diagnosed with adhd and anxiety. But i see more sensory issues, social issues and , oh my goodness, my son eats the same 4 things. He has taken a hotdog (no bun) in his lunch every day since he was 3. He is now 11. I notice stimming behavior as well if his anxiety is running high. I wonder if its more than just adhd and anxiety.
I used to be so good at remembering precisely what was said in conversations and exactly where I last saw a certain file but I’ve become so dissociated in recent years during burnout that I don’t know if I’ll ever recover that skill! The ADHD skill of making me leave the house no less than 3 times every time I have to go out due to forgetting things (including the things I go back for a second time) is still in full force, unfortunately 😂 Edit: Spelling
Haha I manage the spontaneity conflict by operating with “planned spontaneity” so I’ll go on holiday not really knowing exactly what I’m going to do while I’m there but I’ll give myself quite long stretches in a single spot and because I know that I’m going to take the time to figure it out when I’m there, it becomes a “planned” activity and I don’t have to panic.
That’s smart! It’s really the best way to travel. Going places and then moving nonstop is exhausting. Deb and I use your approach. We might not see as much in a given period, but we make up for it by spending a longer period of time in one place, and we never feel rushed or exhausted. Good for you!!! 🙌
Some people seem to suspect that I might have ADHD and when I watch videos like this, I just know I don't 😂 just that some traits of autism and ADHD overlap that are perhaps less thought of as part of autism. But all ADHD only things, just don't fit. Especially that busy brain thing. Man... it's exhausting, but it's part of my autism.
Does anyone else as an auDHDer feel like they were constructed by smashing together 2 polar opposite people into 1 person? This awkward amalgam often switches functionality from one side to the other, often without warning. (There is also an overlap piece in the middle worked from both sides)
I'm AuADHD and when I start brushing my teeth I get instantly bored or realize I have so many other things to do. I start vacuuming with the toothbrush in my mouth, but forget I was brushing it. Just this thing vibrating in my mouth, and I forget about it until it stops vibrating and I remember that i was brushing my teeth. Sue me. 🤷♂
These are all generalizations and don't talk about underlying things. Not all autistic people crave routines because they're repetitive, and literally the first thing recommended for ADHD is scheduling and routines. Many autistic people interrupt because turn taking is a non-verbal social cue. etc. etc. Also. the overlap between the two may be as high as 80% or as low as 20%. It's not even clear we're talking about two things rather than different degrees or manifestations of one thing.
When I am at work, (work with my hands), I RARELY look up to respond to people. I’m sure customers think I’m rude 😆. Not my fault they don’t understand people are different
How did you do in this round of Jeopardy - Autism/ADHD Style? And let's challenge our community by dropping your own Jeopardy style question below 😁
Hi Chris and Debby! I was wondering if you have a list with sources you quoted throughout this video. I found the info compelling, and as someone who just got diagnosed with both, I'd love to do some reading! Thanks for the wonderful content.
OK, Chris. Daily activities category.
Which style gets frustrated trying to figure out how to open packaging, so rips it apart, or attacks it with a knife, destroying packaging, to get inside quickly?
(Hint, this is me, and my grandmother. Think pure autistics would study it, and get a pair of scissors to carefully open package).
Here's another. School days category.
Which style, while growing up, regularly got sent to the Principal, or got "in trouble", often ending up by having to stay after school for detention (or sometimes suspended)?
(Most neurodiverse adults I know experienced this, so I suspect it's both, but I'm AuDHD, so hard to say. Chris, and everyone, what do you think?
I did pretty well!
Emotional dysregulation can be a trait of both.
Did you know that people cannot truly multitask? Our brains cannot fully focus on one thing at a time. When people “multitask” what they are really doing is switching their focus back-and-forth between tasks.
My personal experience tells me that this is not 100 % right. As I was young at work, I could easily talk on the phone to patients and continue to handel blood in my laboratory. I think that this is possible when the handy tasks are simple and so long traint to be completly automated (without need of 🧠)
Thata why autistics have problems with it because of focus inertia, its hard to switch, takes a lot of time.
Yes. Its commonly known that multitasking is actually switching quickly and seemlessly between tasks. So no, its incorrect to say there is no such thing as multitasking.
@@ht7csno, it's not commonly known. That's why they commented this with thirty up votes. Smh
It depends whether the tasks use the same brain function or not. It is very easy to multitask when one is cooking AND having a conversation. Trying to have a conversation while doing work with words would be impossible.
It's difficult trying to understand the overlaps, especially when some traits are in conflict. For example, needing structure and routines (Autism), and at the same time having a spontaneous aspect (ADHD). For me, assuming I have both (not 100% sure yet), it seems to result in an additional layer of confusion about what I even want in the first place. I love and need routines, but also hate them. For me, Autism ultimately seems to win that battle most times, but it still leaves me with an internal conflict.
I get it! I was diagnosed ADHD in my mid-20s, almost 30 years ago. Mostly ignored it until my late 40s, and autism wasn't on my radar at all until a year ago after discovering folks like Chris here. Autism would explain so much about me that ADHD doesn't but I'm still debating whether I need or even want a formal assessment, and so far I've not figured out who I could see for this. But overlaps and conflicts and routines...
I desperately want (and almost certainly need) routine, but I've never been able to achieve it. I obsess over analyzing and planning routines but the few times I've actually managed to implement a plan, it lasted a few days at best. This is one of my greatest frustrations in life because surely everything would go a lot better if I was deliberate and consistent, but indecisiveness and weak execution foils me every time.
Lots of other conflicting traits, but yeah, the routine thing is a bummer.
I have both, plus PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance). I'm a nanny. My current job has been one of the best ever because it is a mix of both structure and some flexibility. I have to get the kids from school every day at a certain time. Dishes and laundry have to get done daily/weekly. But depending on the kids homework and extracurricular activities that change every few weeks, I get to take them out to wherever we want after school. Fridays alternate between extra projects at the house or taking the kids to a movie or whatever. Some things are routine. But it's not all strictly routine or rigid. And both kids are also AuDHD. So we take turns with meltdowns and outbursts. I have a better grasp of my limitations and don't necessarily have meltdowns around the kids. But occasionally I might yell or tell them to stop or be quiet briefly when I'm overwhelmed. But together we manage. I get them on a level most people never will. And they have parents who get it. I could never survive a desk job.
One of my most obvious (now) overlaps shows up in art. For 30 years I was always amazing at any instrument I picked up, on a purely technical level. But since I was so good I got pushed to higher level music classes that included jazz improv and writing songs, and I completely collapsed under the weight of the pressure to create something new. Two of my boys are constantly engaged in playing pretend, but you have to know what you're looking at to realize they script each other. They play act as superheroes, and I'll hear one tell the other "and now you say 'I'll save you!' And if the other kidlet doesn't follow script it all falls apart.
Trying to explain to people the concept of needing "structured creativity" is exhausting, but outside observations by those who don't know what they're looking at inevitably end in "but that's normal" and just... nah, not quite.
Yup, can relate. I need my routine so I can rebel against it.
@shellier1172 I can relate to that too. I have had piano lessons for about 11 years as a child and became quite good, but as soon as my teacher suggested improvising, I flat out said no. I can't do it. I just can't. So yeah, I thrive on structured creativity. Once a friend and I had to write a small poem for some kind of party game and he just started rhyming on the spot. And I was like 'how do you do that without making a plan of what you're gonne say first' because I thought making structures for everything was normal.
As someone who also has both, I could relate to every single one of these! It's such a great feeling...I'm a 45 year old female who was misdiagnosed with Bipolar in my early 20s, then again misdiagnosed with Borderline in my mid 30s (although, my symptoms did fit closely with BPD, and I'm glad that happened because the treatment for it really helped me in my evolution and my self-improvement), finally got a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD in my late 30s, and only in the last year was I made aware of the fact that I am one of those females who were overlooked as a child when it comes to getting an ASD diagnosis. My little sister more closely (but not completely) fits in with the typical presentation of ASD symptoms, and with her husband and son, there's no doubt. So, it never occurred to me that I might also be on the spectrum. Finally understanding why I've always been the way I am is so freeing! It means I wasn't just a difficult, dramatic, demanding, scatter-brained, talented, frustrating young lady with a perfect memory and wasted potential, who can also be really weird sometimes but at the same time, "clean up real good" and participate appropriately with grown up humans with neurotypical brains. And I'm not a weird lady-hermit who sometimes participates in conversations appropriately and sometimes talks nonstop, changing the subject and interrupting others, or boring people to death with my info dumps because once that train leaves the station... I must finish the thought or else, well, or else my head might explode?
Instead, it means that I'm a normal, low-support needs, high-masking woman with ADHD and on the spectrum. I feel like my whole life I was a Martian who closely resembled a normal human enough to pass as one, but knew I wasn't actually a human but didn't know I was a Martian and instead felt like a failure of a human, but then finally found my people. I dunno. I think that's the easiest way that my brain can explain it.
I feel like I belong!! ❤❤❤
Good on you! Very relatable. I wish you the best, journeys like ours are not easy when you dont understand.
Figured it all out at 65...so I am that weird lady-hermit. Hugely freeing. Best to you!
I feel this comment so much :)
I love it! I've found my people. ♥️♥️♥️
so relatable
After listening about all these traits, I wonder how I am even able to survive. My brain should have melted by now.
@Cainmak I discovered last year that I am Autistic (and I suspect ADHD), and after months of research, I’ve come to the conclusion that it must be really boring to be neurotypical ;)
My Neurodivergent strengths are pretty awesome and explain why I am so good at my chosen profession. It also explains why I’m good at things I don’t necessarily enjoy doing, and why doing everything at once led to years of burnout-although I didn’t understand at the time what was happening. I’m currently in the process of refocusing my career on the bits I am passionate about and letting the rest go.
I would love to see a video that explains the exhaustion and conundrum of having both ASD and ADHD. So tired of people thinking my overwhelm is an excuse!
I was diagnosed with autism but I was told recently by my doctor that I also probably have ADHD. It has become more apparent as I have got older, he said because of the menopause hormonal changes make it more obvious in females later in life. I can relate to this video very well but I still think I’m more autistic.
I’ve also found the autism has more of an effect day to day. I can medicate the ADHD if I need it to STFU for a bit 😂
Well, this confirms it: I'm definitely both (after wondering if I was either, hahahaha). I jump to this conclusion because of the sensory stuff (migraine-triggering smells, sounds. Clothing labels and seams (I wear stuff inside out if it touches my skin)), the hearing someone tell me something and having absolutely no recollection of what was being said (probably because I was in a train of thought) even though I responded as if 'noted', and the horror of social events I so want to go to but (now) realise I'll feel so uncomfortable once I get there. And finally, yes, totally agree that the world going on in my head is often so much more interesting (that's why painting and writing are perfect) than what is going on in the world around me. This last thing is probably the best explanation for sleep problems. Lights out, lying down and off we go with great ideas, plans, solutions, regrets and all that. Thanks for a great explanation. I have to say that since looking into all this asd and adhd stuff, I seem to be a lot kinder to myself. I didn't realise I was being mean to me before, hahahaha! but now I seem to be ok with being me. My 'difficulties' are not me being difficult, they are me.
This is great to hear. So many of us autistics aren’t fair to ourselves. We beat up on ourselves too much. It makes me feel good when I hear fellow autistics being nicer to themselves. It’s so important! We have a tough enough time as it is.
Thank you so much for sharing!!😍😍
@@ChrisandDebby I agree with both of you. Felt like an alien all my life, trying to fit in - but never really did, and felt regularly judged. Thought I was inherently defective, on some level (think that's called "low self worth). However, when my therapist suggested my autism, in Oct 2023, and I looked into it - I couldn't believe how well I finally "fit". It all made sense.
Began to accept myself, be gentler, allow "quirkiness" to be OK, and have found a wonderful large neurodiverse community (mostly online) - who can relate, and I feel comfortable with. I regularly thank my therapist.
Am also grateful that since I'm retired (nearly 70), I no longer have to try to conform to neurotypical expectations in the workplace, or try to understand office politics, etc. Have my comfortable morning routines, non-human company, eat what I want, selective social interactions, etc. Much better!
My mom likely has ADHD, and my dad autism. I may have both, and I only learned this as an adult. I tend to grativate towards people with ADHD and autism, before I understood I likely have it as well. My first boyfriend was diagnosed with Asperger’s, and my second boyfriend was diagnosed with ADHD after we broke up. My husband shows signs of ADHD, and his mom shows, what I would say, is the most overt case of ADHD I’ve been around.
Whenever I visit, I basically follow her around and make sure the stove isn’t left with pots boiling, that she doesn’t forget where she placed things, that all the priorities she’s juggling don’t fall into chaos, that abrupt shifts in conversation find their point, and so on. It is very exhausting, and I both relate to her but also get anxiety because I can’t ever just do one thing at a time with her and at some point I just shut down and become comatose and sleep for 12 hours (or get sick). It is so opposite of how I operate when I am by myself, and yet… familiar.
With my husband and I, we get lost in our special interests to the point we neglect important things. Like, it can be a struggle to eat or do necessary life tasks when we both get stuck in our own worlds. Usually I pull out of mine first because I eventually get worried that he hasn’t eaten for 10 hours working on a project, and while it is perfectly fine that I don’t eat for 10 hours while I work on my projects, I can’t let him do that to himself, lol.
But we can understand one another, and confronting the difficulties we share helps both of us in the long run.
I am a late diagnosed autistic and have known a few other autistic people. In my experience, I actually get really bored if I'm not multi tasking. I have to read a book while brushing my teeth, and if I'm watching a show, I have to be doing something with my hands, like a craft project (one of my hyper fucuses!) In high school I had to doodle in order to focus. I am a therapist and many of my clients are autistic... One kid can focus in school better if she's listening to music. So question 11 may not be as accurate. Love the episode over all!
I am diagnosed with both and I am a bit funny with this! Sometimes I focus better if I listen to Music but sometimes the Music might be overstimulating and it works better if I use soundproof headphones so everything is quiet.
More than half of all autistic people have ADHD as well.
Avoid social situations …(adhd “ers” ) because we have been criticized often for talking too much, too loud, wiggling etc and it takes a lot to mask or contain these too.
pathological demand avoidance, (PDA) it's a nightmare. Even our own "demands" can trigger it.
I'm an AuDHDer and usually it makes it extra hard on me (specifically hard on my Autistic side, like mentioned with routine and sameness VS novelty) but my Autism helps me with my ADHD in a few places, like memorizing things. I'm not usually one to be late because I forgot the time, or lose my keys and phone a lot because my Autism overpowered my ADHD and I put my keys or phone in the correct spot every time or I really kept up on my calendar as my routine and strong habit.
I used to lose my keys and phone a lot, but I also have started putting them and other things in the exact same spot. Whenever I get home, I have the same routine. It’s really helped me from going absolutely crazy! Good for you for sticking with your routines!! 🙌
@@ChrisandDebby Yes, visual cues, and routines, are really helpful. I put reminder notes on a certain bar stool I walk by, and "out going" items by the front door. Exact same spot is really useful, too.
Even leave the light on over the stove, if there's something I need to remember (put food away, water heating on low, bread dough rising in oven - whatever needs being done before going out, coming home, or bed).
I would add stimming!
People with adhd would be more likely to do normal looking stims bouncing their foot, fidling with a pen, when bored or to try to have an activity to keep their distractable mind busy while they try to focus. but someone with autism will have a lot more variety of stims and rely on them more to deal with change.
Huh, interesting. I got my ADHD diagnosis in my early 20s, but as I have been researching ASD for my husband and my son, I’ve begun to wonder a bit about myself. I would say the ADHD still tends to be stronger for me, but I remember it being commented on as a child that I had happy-flappy hands, for example.
Not necessarily true for ADHD to be able to mask their stims better... I pace the room a lot while intensely thinking/ activated, to release energy and be able to focus. Sometimes that's more socially acceptable, sometimes not. Then again, I'm both, so hard to say.
I think eating can be a stim too, sometimes.
@@rjparker2414 pacing is definitely more socially acceptable in the sense that people understand that some people pace, it can aggravate them, but so does pen clicking and foot bouncing. However people don't understand what hand flapping is all about or why I need to touch everything to my lips.
@@steggopotamus OK, makes sense. I do extensive moving, touching, at home, and even thrashing around in bed before sleep - to unwind. However, guess I lucked out and learned what's "acceptable", i.e. masking, forms of stims while growing up. Would be painful to have a comfortable stim, like flapping, so negatively judged in "social" (neurotypical majority) situations.
This was extremely entertaining AND informational. Thanks so much for the effort you put into your videos, it's greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much for the encouragement!! We both learned a lot with this one, and glad to hear you liked it too! Please share with other people who you think could learn from this as well! 😊
I loved this format - one of my special interests is trivia/brain teasers. I got the memory one wrong, because I was thinking of working memory, too, which is often poor in autistic people. It turns out it's hard to remember a ton of information while constantly processing a ton of information. Who knew? 😂
"More Fun in my Brain", thats a good one. I like to stay in my mind when I am driving to work. Just hope behind a truck and zone out.
Masking for both would be one I’d add. Good video ❤
Yes!! Absolutely - great suggestion for the next round of Jeopardy! Thank you!
"Sometimes my inner world is more fun!"
THIS!
What a fun way to convey this information. I hope you had fun making it! I enjoyed watching.
1- AUTISM (might be ignoring your interruption to avoid being rude to you for interrupting me)
2- AUTSIM (and dyslexia)
3- NO
4- AUTISM - but I’ve learned to preserve my own energy and not do this unless asked. I felt generous, but realized no one cares.
5- AUTISM
6- AUTISM not habituating makes me protective if I’ve established a routine
7- nope not forgetful, aside from peri menopause
8- AUTISM not written listen, but picture or symbols
9- depends BOTH
10- AUTISM - forget to eat. Repetitive eating “habits”.
11- Autism I cycle through demands until they’re done. Non habituation is autistic. Have to turn music or talk down to concentrate
12- Autism
13- Autism
11:51 I can't even make a cup of tea and continue a conversation 😅
I have traits of both but I also have a mid range hearing loss. That complicates things further.
Jeopardy is my F A V O R I T E gameshow and the fact you've made a game SPECIFICALLY with one of my current special interests is fukin AWESOME!!!
I love your videos so much. Most videos about autism and adhd are created by neurotypicals. They use big words and talk super fast. I love how you put words on the screen and make the videos interesting. I have ADHD and autism. Thank you for everything.
There are lots of videos by autistic people. Once you start finding them you will find more and more!
I watch videos like this and it makes me think I have both, I've only been diagnosed with ADHD though and I won't say I have anything I haven't been diagnosed with. But between the two it would better explain to me why everyone thought I had OCD when I was a kid. I only recently got diagnosed with ADHD.
Thanks to u i got my assessment including a EEG that showed I have bit ASD and ADHD. With a video u posted comparing and more half of the stuff, I thought it as Adhd it was ASD. I went decades of my life without suspecting I was autistic because I justified as ADHD symptoms. I'm such a newbie that I still can't distinguish between them.
Wow, it's so great to hear that our videos have been helping you and glad to hear that you're finally getting some answers! I was the same - really had no idea about how much was autism because of my ADHD too. The lines are really blurred sometimes (for me) on the impacts of each one because there's so much crossover. So learning about how they both are for you specifically will be a long process, but at least you are starting to begin that process now!
Thanks again for sharing this and being here!! Hope more people can share this knowledge to learn and understand both of these better. And let us know if you have any suggestions for things you'd like to learn more about too! We like to read those to help us think what could help our community 😊
Hi there! I hope you don't mind me jumping into your conversation. Would you be so kind as to tell me how you went about getting your diagnosis, and if insurance covered any of it?
I'm in a small town and am having a very hard time finding a provider. Thanks in advance!! 😊
How does EEG show that you have ASD? I didn't know about this.
Chris - I was diagnosed in 2015 with an immune deficiency disease called CVID.
I JUST read yesterday that people with ASD are at risk for low immunoglobulins (antibodies) IgG, IgM and IgA (types of antibodies) and/ or low total IgG -( basically low immune system), and Immune Deficiency Diseases including....CVID!!! 😮
Conversely, people with ADHD tend to have HIGHER IgGs which are attributed to AUTO immune diseases!!
@Cheryl_Frazier I didn't know this, but I have IgA deficiency. Crazy. It's not really symptomatic, but I found out when they were running a ton of medical tests trying to diagnose all these symptoms I was having. Guess what? It was autism and ADHD, lol.
This was awesome! Loved the Jeopardy style and was fun to quiz myself in the process :D
8:11 that really is a woah moment for me; I’ve always been so frustrated that I constantly make schedules I can’t stick too.
I’d say number 3 is both for different reasons. For some with ASD, back and forth conversation can be difficult and confusing leading to interruptions and not picking up social cues. People with ASD may also struggle to pick up when someone’s finished talking and end up talking over them. Def more common with ADHD but can also be part of the ASD diagnostic criteria as well.
I was thinking this too!
I thought about this too! I have this problem. The timing is hard for me. I interrupt without meaning to.
Both for me. It was confusing before I realized that the reason a few of my autistic traits weren't as "strong" or bothersome because they were often overshadowed by the ADHD. The ADHD helps me accept change and makes me more adaptable in some cases.
Great points here. Good to know all this and well done video!
I L.O.V.E.D this video! So fun, engaging and informative! I suspect I have AuDHD and am waiting to be formally assessed.
This was so clear and somehow uplifting! Thank you 🙂
cool format! my autistic brain craves routines, and adhd makes them very difficult to implement and follow, but not for the spontaneity reason. i have inattentive-type rather than combined-type adhd, and my struggles with executive function are massive. rather than a conflict between a desire for novelty/spontaneity and a desire for structure/routine, my battle is about whether or not i can get started on the thing i was planning to do at the time i intended to do it. this grew into an entrenched procrastination habit that i have only recently begun to deconstruct with the help of behavioural therapy and adhd medication.
also, i wasn't formally keeping track, but i think i got 100% on the questions, woo!
I really love this! It was so much fun!!!🤩😍🥰
So glad you enjoyed it! Did you learn anything new?
Mom of 2 (13 and 19 year olds) with both adhd and autism. The joys and challenges of raising kids with both are things that is tough to imagine without doing it. This video was so well done and really simplified (as much as a very very complex set of traits that show up in people with both especially) and summed it up well!!
Only just fully coming out as autistic. I never knew until now, aged 40. I have an adhd diagnosis but the autism is definitely more obvious to me now. I spent years in therapy thinking I was just an awful person, so relieved to finally have an answer and learn ways to cope better. White noise is where its at for me.
I got them all right!! I’m so happy thanks for making learning so fun and helpful
Thank you, this was brilliant! It made me suspect that l may have ADHD as well as being autistic. I didn't realise there were so many crossovers with the traits either but this video demonstrated them really well.
So glad this was helpful! And yes, there's SO much crossover between the two. Both of us learned a lot during the research for this as well! Let us know if you think of other categories you'd add for Round 2 in the future 😊
More than half of all autistic people have ADHD.
Great format! ❤
Thanks! Trying to make it more engaging.
@@ChrisandDebby and succeeding!
Love this fun format lol - feels like such a direct reflection of your personality and you look like you had fun filming this, which comes across. Suggestion: maybe next time dress up as different contestants ;)
Recently diagnosed with both - trying to work out how to set up my life is exciting, scary, and exhausting. Thanks for another great video
The strange part is
I can brush my teeth and my hair at the same time
Requires some concentration, though
Multitasking for me.... Is mastering Sudoku on the toilet.... Or singing entry single word if my favorite music (yes, it's a ten hour playlist on repeat and yes, it's been this artist I'm into now for the past 9 months😂😂😂), whilst I draw, paint and create.... Otherwise, if the novel ADHD overtakes the OG autism, I'm doomed. Projects like organizing our even laundry either do not get started, or will not get finished. Easily, I should say.... BOTH hurt my brain and cause physical sensations of pain betwixt the shoulder blades and up my neck. Not fun at all. Finally getting proper support from loved ones! It's never too late to know yourself and your needs. I find, the more you know yourself, the better prepared you will be for most of these things you mention!
Thanks for another great video! I'm going to go process it all now, by watching it again and again😅
I love sudoku too - it's the patterns/ logic of it. People don't understand that it's got nothing to do with math (I'm severely dysnumeric/ dyscalculic). Can't do math (except money, usually), but I love sudoku and find it relaxing.
Yes, sometimes the stress between one's ADHD and autism can be challenging.
@@rjparker2414 this is what I have been saying!! It's zero math.... The numbers are just symbols.. For me, they are in color, too (some of them)... I find them too be relaxing, as well. The puzzles really can take my anxiety down a notch or two sometimes... I spend a few hours a day brushing up my puzzle skills and feel I would be lost without this time
@@GeekieGock Yep! Very relaxing. Saw a Sudoku made out of music symbols, for high school music class. Colors is a cool variation.
Wonderful video! Thank you for putting the things into words so I can share them easily with those I love to help them both understand me and possibly themselves too. ❤ The late diagnosed autistic girl who actually did get diagnosed with ADHD as a child in the 90s.
My daily routines for my forty year self are more relaxing and inner thoughts more entertaining than anything or anyone outside of those routines. With excellent perception and memory any odd sensation can "bug" me. On the flip side, I'm an excellent cook for my family; and go by sense of smell and visual textures instead of exact measurements, especially with spice rubs and sauces. It's a gift and a curse. I wish outside conversations did not speak very fast, and give time to think. It's hard to "read" people who are not literal straightforward and overuse sarcasm.
Thank you!
Thank you very much!! Really appreciate your support 🤩🤩
My husband and I learned so much from this video-except when it came to the parts when you asked: ADHD, Autism, or Both. He kept blurting out my name. Yup, we got a little neurodiversity goin’ on in this house. 🙃 We love your videos.
Oh my goodness every video from various autist and AuADHD I watch, it feels like my life and brain are making more sense now that I’m seeing so many instances in my life, past and present, that point to me being both ADHD and Autistic. 😎🤘🏼
I'm getting more and more convinced that I also have ADHD. I need to get that assessment done 😢
Oooooohhh yes. Or I should say oooooohhh no, as in no, I absolutely CAN'T multitask. And I CAN'T have music playing with singing going on while I'm trying to do...well...ANYTHING, but especially any focused thinking, like reading or writing. There is a range of music that does, yes, help me when it's going on the background, mostly of a darker, melancholic, haunting sort. Think Faure and Ravel's "Pavanes," Debussy's "Reverie" and "Clair de Lune," or think the soundtrack to Shadowlands (with Anthony Hopkins), or John Doan's "Eire Isle of the Saints." Or there's a TH-cam video called "a playlist to read/study in your room (dark academia)" that I can just have going over and over again while I study. Or, finally, there's another called "SOLITARY SAMURAI - 10 HOURS - HANS ZIMMER - JAPANESE MUSIC RAIN MEDITATION" that I need to want playing every time I take a shower or, in general, when I just need to focus in a special way. As for interruptions breaking your focus and make it really hard to come back to them....ohhhh yes. There have been interruptions in my life that threw me off a passionate interest for...MONTHS. The whole prospect of trying to reconstruct that practically transcendent state of utter psychic immersion, a real union of being with whatever it is I was immersed in, seems like a hopeless Mount Everest to climb...a bit like picking up with telling the great love of your life how much she means to you after she stopped you midway to remind you that whenever you're done with what it is you're saying you have to run to the supermarket to get the turnips you were stupid enough to forget this morning. "Er, yes, dear, of course I will, but...but the thing I was trying to say was...uh...well, you know, maybe I'll just go get those turnips now."
i need to look at all your videos mate youre doing great
i forget where i left my keys but i remember every phone number i've been told since 1984.
Something I’d love to hear more about is actually those 10% of autistic people who don’t experience significant sensory differences.
I most likely have adhd, but there are a bit too many asd traits that I relate to that are not shared with adhd, but since I don’t think I have sensory differences, I’m quite skeptical that I may have asd. Maybe I fall into the phenotype, who knows.
I want to chase an assessment for adhd at least, cuz the executive dysfunction is being quite the challenge for me (my whole life, but specially now with job related issues)
Another ‘funny’ thing about the ‘talks too much about interests’ thing. I can’t relate to that, but for specific reasons. If someone lets me talk about smth I’m fixating on, I can get so excited I literally start shaking. But generally, I never mention things I like because people don’t want to hear about this random fictional character. I’ve noticed that every single time I try to share something with my mother, she immediately shuts me down, and it hurts. So as an adult, I can barely talk anymore with people irl. When I interact with others, I just let them do most of the talking. It sucks, I know that, so when I’m hanging out with my (ND) friend, I let him info dump about the newest game he spent the night playing, and when I take a walk with my little brother, I let him tell me about pokemon for an hour straight, even if I don’t really care about the subjects.
Chris, I was diagnosed with an immune deficiency disease called CVID in 2015.
I just read yesterday on Pub Med that people with ASD are at risk for low immune function and immune deficiency diseases, specifically CVID! 😮
People with ADHD tend to have overactive immune systems which are responsible for auto immune issues.
Very interesting!
I’ve been reading similar things to this. Can you share the link if you still have it?
I just scratched surface of this a few weeks ago. Very interesting! I suspect I have low immune, as does my Son. Im ASD+ADHD, he is ASD & possible ADHD. They looked yrs now for autoimmune in me but nothing positive. My Mom is ADHD no ASD & she has 3 diagnosed Autoimmune.
Ive had so many viruses, infections. I need to read more on it cause definitely interesting
@misscrazyness4288 It really is! What's also interesting is that if you have immune issues, it can mean low (hypo) immune (which puts you at risk for bacterial infections and sometimes viral infections, but also certain cancers and AUTO immune diseases)
At the same time you can also have high (hyper) immune function which contributes to auto immune.
In other words it's wonky all the way around!!
Probable autistic here. While lockdown was terrible for many reasons, I absolutely loved the fact that I had complete control over my schedule and environment. When I'm working at the office (4 days a week), one of my duties is reception, and it's SO HARD for me to get any work done on days where "my interruptions have interruptions." (Someone wants something from me, but then the phone rings, and while I'm on the phone the door buzzes and I have to deal with a technician, and then there's a delivery, and then someone needs to know where the mop is...) Those are the days I'm most likely to have meltdowns when I get home.
I have grown to like your videos very much. Thank you for making them.
Question 3 for me was both. As an autistsic person I interrupt a lot because I often think that someone is finished talking when they are not.
yes dude the temp of room can make you feel sick!! Coming into A/C from summer heat makes me nauseous.
This is very good, thanks!
I love your videos. I am struggling to understand why multitasking difficulties is a trait of ADHD though... (Both ADHD and Autism).
"A hyperlexic-like style of reading (HPL), defined as word decoding substantially better than reading comprehension, was found in an important minority of female school-age children with a diagnosis of ADHD." - unknown
I would like to share a comment about question eight. I am autistic, and I have aphantasia. For me, my ability to visualize is very restricted. I have an autistic friend who also has aphantasia, but he has absolutely no ability to visualize.
It is true that autistics are stereotypically visual thinkers, but it definitely cannot be made as a blanket statement!
You are correct! My statements are from a general perspective, but there are exceptions- as you’ve mentioned. Every individual with autism is unique.
Btw, I find aphantasia to be very interesting… partly because I’m such a visual thinker but I can’t visualize what it would be like to not be able to visualize. How do you think about objects in your mind?
@@ChrisandDebby I can create faint visualizations, from which I can cognitively process abstractly.
It’s very strange, because I have figured out that I have visual memory, I am just unable to spontaneously access it. Also, if I can connect a visualization to another sense, I am more likely to be able to experience it. For instance, when I used to memorize a piece, I learned on the piano, I would be able to visualize the score in my head, but only because I could connect it to the sensation of the music in my fingers and the sound of it.
Another interesting thing about folks with aphantasia is that we typically are able to visualize in dreams.
I know that it's common for some autistics to be visual thinkers but I do want to stress the correlation between apahantasia and autism as well. I have apahantasia and my visual-spatial cognition is so poor it affects me negatively in my daily life (I can barely figure out how to change a lightbulb).
Not every autistic is a strong visual thinker and I dare say that's an old stereotype.
"ASD, Without accompanying intellectual impairments." Is what it says on the papers I got yesterday from the clinical psychologist that I saw. As well as secondary confirmation of adhd (28yrs) and ptsd (14yrs(which I don't ever need confirmation of ever again.) But reading what she wrote... at least things make a little more sense now. But it kind of shakes up how I thought I was starting to understand myself... and I'm not sure how to bring that up with my actual therapist... lol
It’s really good that you’ve figured out what’s going on in your brain. Relearning yourself is a bit of a process, but it’s super important. Life gets a lot better when you understand your limits and learn to be more accepting, accommodating, and patient of yourself. Sounds like you are well on your way!!
Thanks for sharing!
I forget passwords all the time. I remember them by recalling the day that I set the password and work through my logic from that instance. When I get a password wrong, that's also my go-to. I first recall instances of resetting my password, then I select the right one and work through the logic to find my current password. This is obviously a bit taxing when you have to maintain several passwords, so I've found that handwriting them is the most secure method in today's world. A personal shortcut to reading them makes it so people don't know what they're even looking at.
I got them all right! 🎉
Nice!! 🤩🤩🤩 Sounds like you're expert level!
How about submitting a question or topic of your own? We'll plan to do another one in the future!
THANK YOU!!!!
Hey I know this game! I've been playing it since, say, age 3 or 4 or so all the way until now at 34! Surprisingly, I still don't feel like I'm very good at it...
Listening to music and singing the lyrics while simultaneously reading an email?? You're saying this is a common thing to be able to do?!? I can't even imagine being able to do this.
Assuming autistic people have to have rigid routines and won’t be spontaneous when over half of us also have ADHD is like assuming people with ADHD will be bouncing all over the place all the time and never focus well on anything when ADHD-PI, hyperfocus, and just maturing all exist! I fit all the criteria for autism except rigid routines, precisely because I also have ADHD-PI! 🤦♀️
Me too!
Oh boy can't wait 😂🎉
Woohoo, the wait is over!! 🙌 Excited to hear what you think!
I was told by my therapist that ADHD and Autism are going to be put under the same diagnosis in the next DSM. They apparently now suspect that they are the same diagnosis, and it's just a spectrum of different symptoms depending on the person.
Finally! Hopefully they come up with a better name for this diagnosis.
I think that pop music is the perfect way to explain autistic routines to neurotypicals. People like pop music because they can latch onto predictable patterns and carry them into fun and exciting new patterns, but it never deviates to much without risking becoming prog rock (or name a genre). Most people love pop music. That's why it's pop music. But your brain loves that familiarity. Those same patterns over decades and decades. Those same four chords never get old. For an autistic, discovering new routines is like finding a new song or new favorite genre of music. Meanwhile, deviation can be like pumping prog rock into the ears of someone who only ever listened to Backstreet, N-Sync, and Britney growing up. Or playing Johnny Be Good to a high school prom a few years too early. ;-)
Great video, Chris!
Thank you!! This was a fun one to make too!
wow look at that number 16.7k when I typed this 2 days after your video premiered. congratulations
I think I'd add transitions. I know you mentiones changing tasks as being difficult for people with Autism, but transitioning isn't limited to physical switching of tasks for autistics. For me it's such a mental issue, it's impossible to turn of the rumination. I'll have song lyrics playing on repeat for entire days. The lyrics won't disappear almost no matter what I'm doing.
Transitioning is kind of the easiest thing ever for ADHDers cause being distracted is sort of like a transition, and we do that effortlessly....and abundantly lol. At the same time though, I tend to have a suddle feeling of dread when I am distracted frequently cause I know there must be tasks half done all over the place, or worst, great ideas that are lost.
This was GREAT!! Thank you!!!
Wait - is it even possible for people to have music (with words) on and read an email??!! 🤔
I'm a musician but I don't listen to music 😄
I can't think in a cluttery room, but sometimes I'm cluttery 😄
I have many different (and intense) sensory issues
I’m glad you liked the video!!
Debby can listen to music while the tv is on and read and understand what she’s reading… and she can also write!! How?!!!
I’m the same when it comes to rooms with clutter, but sometimes I cause the clutter.
What are some of your sensory issues?
@@ChrisandDebby Debby is a super human! 😄
The list of sensory issues is long, but here are a few:
*Tags in clothing
*Seams on socks & clothes (I wear most clothes inside out at home)
*Sleeves bunching up when layering
*A random piece of hair on my bare arm AHHHH
*Food textures:Okra, oysters, grizzle in meat 🤢
*Loud sounds
*Repetitive sounds: clocks ticking, water dripping
MISOPHONIA - Dogs licking - makes me want to run out the door screaming and jump into a giant hole
I can’t even listen to instrumentals when reading something most of the time lol. MAYBE like nature sounds or something but not instruments
@@Therautistmel I can do some nature sounds too - like wind....but no birds or thunder 😄
I’m with you on a lot of these. I put on my comfy pjs as soon as I get home. I cut off all tags on my clothing. I have so many pairs of the same tshirt because it’s comfy.
I can’t stand when my hair tickles my forehead. Sometimes I have to wet it to make sure it stays away from my forehead. It makes me cranky when it won’t behave.
Debby loves okra, but I can’t do it. The slimy part freaks my brain out. I know it’s good for you, but I can’t do it.
I just finished filming a video about misophonia. I have it too. Sneezing and crunching sounds make me mad!! Really really cranky.
This was great. This helped to make clear to me how very autistic I am.
Good video! Engaging!
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your videos are fantastic.
Glad you like them! Thanks for being here 😊
My friend has been telling me for so long that I probably have ADHD too, but I dismissed it. Until this video... I think she might be right 😂
Great video
I really believe i am Both after seeing this.
10:55 im only diagnosed woth adhd but i find i will hyperfixate on like 2-4 meals at a time before i just get sick of it and cant stomach it for months, and the meal moves on.
Idk what that means for adhd people thi
I did pretty well with this.
6:04 what does "sensory stimulai" mean man? Like everything that exists??
Idk, but noises and light scare me randomly
My son and I are both diagnosed with adhd and anxiety. But i see more sensory issues, social issues and , oh my goodness, my son eats the same 4 things. He has taken a hotdog (no bun) in his lunch every day since he was 3. He is now 11. I notice stimming behavior as well if his anxiety is running high. I wonder if its more than just adhd and anxiety.
Question: who fidgets more ADHD or ASD? What if your both?
Great video. Thanks
I used to be so good at remembering precisely what was said in conversations and exactly where I last saw a certain file but I’ve become so dissociated in recent years during burnout that I don’t know if I’ll ever recover that skill!
The ADHD skill of making me leave the house no less than 3 times every time I have to go out due to forgetting things (including the things I go back for a second time) is still in full force, unfortunately 😂
Edit: Spelling
Haha I manage the spontaneity conflict by operating with “planned spontaneity” so I’ll go on holiday not really knowing exactly what I’m going to do while I’m there but I’ll give myself quite long stretches in a single spot and because I know that I’m going to take the time to figure it out when I’m there, it becomes a “planned” activity and I don’t have to panic.
That’s smart! It’s really the best way to travel. Going places and then moving nonstop is exhausting. Deb and I use your approach. We might not see as much in a given period, but we make up for it by spending a longer period of time in one place, and we never feel rushed or exhausted.
Good for you!!! 🙌
It would be good to add depression and anxiety to this mix also.
💖 This video!!!!!!
Some people seem to suspect that I might have ADHD and when I watch videos like this, I just know I don't 😂 just that some traits of autism and ADHD overlap that are perhaps less thought of as part of autism. But all ADHD only things, just don't fit. Especially that busy brain thing. Man... it's exhausting, but it's part of my autism.
I only mistaken 3 times. Because I am both. 😁 and found out this last year.
Does anyone else as an auDHDer feel like they were constructed by smashing together 2 polar opposite people into 1 person? This awkward amalgam often switches functionality from one side to the other, often without warning. (There is also an overlap piece in the middle worked from both sides)
I'm AuADHD and when I start brushing my teeth I get instantly bored or realize I have so many other things to do. I start vacuuming with the toothbrush in my mouth, but forget I was brushing it. Just this thing vibrating in my mouth, and I forget about it until it stops vibrating and I remember that i was brushing my teeth. Sue me. 🤷♂
These are all generalizations and don't talk about underlying things. Not all autistic people crave routines because they're repetitive, and literally the first thing recommended for ADHD is scheduling and routines. Many autistic people interrupt because turn taking is a non-verbal social cue. etc. etc. Also. the overlap between the two may be as high as 80% or as low as 20%. It's not even clear we're talking about two things rather than different degrees or manifestations of one thing.
When I am at work, (work with my hands), I RARELY look up to respond to people. I’m sure customers think I’m rude 😆. Not my fault they don’t understand people are different
This video is also hilarious. My coworker has adhd and we butt heads alot lol
infodumping is the secret AuDHD love language
I have both and I really did not do well with this quiz 🤣