The Overlap Between Autism, ADHD, and Executive Functioning

[@emmetran27]

The ratio between males and females with ASD and ADHD is so big because females get misdiagnosed, don’t get diagnosed, and present in symptoms differently.

[@ianirwin9480]

@Lucas Milito I think you've been smoking a few too many herbs...

[@katzenmett1424]

Might be true, but where is the evidence?

[@caitlinwhatthefrick2361]

It’s false that “more boys have autism”, just as many girls and women are on the spectrum but it presents slightly differently in girls like were typically more “shy” and better at masking. That’s why we get diagnosed so much later in life.

[@LeksiW]

I can assure you , asd/adhd are both 1:1 for boys and girls. We're just not diagnosing the girls.

[@Dancestar1981]

Absolutely correct because research is biased and only conducted on men

[@goabsara]

Exactly! 👏🏻

[@Dancestar1981]

Absolutely true

[@Foxbab]

I agree, Girls express it differently

[@turtleanton6539]

Yup

[@ottolandin]

I have autism and I'm always scared to start a conversation because I'm worried about butting in, because I had a lot of complaints about it.

[@turtleanton6539]

Indeed 😊

[@Neilgs]

To be kind entirely misguided to address executive functioning in terms of organizing, planning and executing surface based (ie academic) tasks is profoundly ignorance with respect to autism and related spectrum related challenges. Furthermore, executive functioning is directly dependent upon the earlier Functional Emotional Developmental capacities, the subcortical LHPA (limbic hypothalamic pituitary adrenal) axis which connects into the autonomic nervous system (all through interpersonal relationships). Simply, from the child’s or older perspective, “Do I feel safe to engage with you and my surroundings or is my sympathetic-adrenal nervous system adaptive mobilized for defensive fight/flight behaviors or worse parasympathetic withdrawal/shutdown or dissociation?” Basically, it is about cultivating the conditions with the child or older for internal (interoceptive) feelings of safety. As our autonomic nervous system changes so then does the overall resiliency of executive functioning including social-pragmatic communication/language. “Mood and emotions” do not “Get in the way of completing tasks”. they affectively and adaptively form, embed and guide at each moment. Hence, the fatal snd fundamental flaw of All behavioral based programmatic thinking. Disgusting.

[@theWinterWalker]

This is what I've been searching for. I'm co-morbid and disabled by 38 from executive dysfunction. Twice exceptional late diagnosed female.

[@idunnmyhr8854]

Ohh..49 and at the beginning of this ice berg

[@thegracklepeck]

Yeah I'm pretty dang sure I've got ADHD in addition to the late autism diagnosis in my mid 30s. Which sucks. I was the "gifted" child, homeschooled, and so was never diagnosed because no one realized that something was wrong. I was just "strong-willed", blunt, and somehow also seen as mature for my age. Anyone who took a closer look would have seen that while I was a voracious reader and read above my grade level and enjoyed talking with adults, my social skills weren't anywhere near that of my peers in my age-group.

[@no_peace]

It costs nothing to call them traits instead of symptoms

[@jeyrey3898]

I like that

[@Vanessa-lf2jn]

It’s definitely more polite but it minimises the condition and ignores the complex neurological conditions that impact normal development of children diagnosed with ASD. I work with autistic children and a number of their behaviours are not traits - like personality or temperament but are coping mechanisms that seriously impact their ability to function, especially in social settings. To call screaming and face slapping a trait in the manifestation of anxiety with the inability of a child to process sensory input while their same age peers verbalise or action change to manage their discomfort is very inaccurate.

[@jimwilliams3816]

@Vanessa I’m no clinician, but my first reaction is that traits and symptoms describe different things, and each should be used where appropriate. A tendency toward bluntness or low affectation would be a trait. A sensory processing issue might be a condition (not necessarily a disorder, though many are) and screaming or skin picking might be a symptom. I suspect these kind of distinctions are pretty commonly made now, but I will say I’ve heard lecturers who speak almost entirely in terms of deficits, disorders and symptoms. Discretion in terminology is needed both for accuracy and also to prevent individuals from being overpathologized. The ability to attain and maintain a sense of dignity is important for individuals trying to manage divergent neurotypes, and some clinicians do better at that than others...at least IMO.

[@ericah6546]

I would definitely call them symptoms in myself because calling them traits feels to me like minimisation and ignoring how they cause me to struggle. And they are all related to a condition. Traits I think of more as not connected to a condition. State programs that are established for helping are very underfunded. I fear that the word traits could lead to people thinking that ppl with autism couldn't use help.

[@jimwilliams3816]

@@ericah6546 Points taken. I've been struggling with this one for myself, and increasingly think that it's one of the places where people have to choose the self-identifiers that feel right to them. I've taken to identifying myself as having "autistic traits" because I'm not officially diagnosed, and keep debating if I am missing certain key characteristics that seem to be fundamental to people with diagnoses -- sensory issues (I have some) and "rigid and repetitive behaviors" (a clinical phrase I hate; I may match for AuDHD presentation). At least some of my internal debate relates to imposter syndrome, and that I don't want to minimize the difficulties experienced by people with more pronounced -- conditions? -- than I have. Some other countries seem to use the term "broader autism phenotype," and I would be much happier with that than "autistic traits." The other factor is what trait or condition we are talking about. What I often refer to as my "autistic traits" are the things that define who I am, and not necessarily in a bad way. My system of logic feels autistic to me, and while it makes explaining myself to others problematic, I feel comfortable with it and would not trade it in. But I really do struggle these days, and the things I struggle with I would call conditions or disorders; but some are things that could be considered comorbidities, and almost any mental health condition can be explained by multiple means. In the US at least, heightened fear response/hypervigilance seems to be viewed as inextricably coming from "trauma," which is very frustrating to me. I relate strongly to PDA presentations of autism (PDA being unknown in the US), and whatever I am, that part of me has a clear heritable path. You are right, the other part of terminology is outward perception, and sadly the gatekeepers of services tend to use cold, clinical and pathologizing language, and may always do so. It may be that autistic people may have to accept a certain amount of pathologizing in order to get services. I totally get the desire of people on the spectrum (including me) to not have to feel that they are "broken." It seems doable to view autism as a physiologic profile characterized by certain traits of varying intensities, some of which rise to the level of disorders, and/or often have comorbid conditions. We've made some progress that way in the therapeutic community. Public policy, and thus funding for services, has a bad tendency to think in terms of putting out fires rather than supporting people positively, so it lags a lot. And public perception lags much much further. My thoughts anyway.

[@pixelmotte]

When I think about what would have helped me back in school, nothing of what came to mind came up in this presentation. This is just trying to make kids funktion within the system instead of making some actually helpful changes. One of the biggest helps would have been to have more autonomy, because I knew more about how I learn and also how other kids learn than my teachers. Homework for example was just a waste of time for me, same as most of the time I had to spend sitting in school in general. For me it would have been helpful, to just get a paper with goals, like know how to x until day y and then leave me alone, maybe make some suggestions, but not force me to do specific tasts, during specific times, at a specific place. As I like to repeat, school lessons are usually 5-10 minutes worth of informations streched into 45 minutes and that's a waste of time regardless of your "neurotype". This isn't even an exaggeration, I had multiple teachers confirm this, but this is just the lack of respect for childrens autonomy and lifetime, that most adults have. I'm also not exaggerating, when I say, that this form of "education" was torture and I would even say it's one of the main reasons for drug consumption in teenagers.

[@aksprkl6594]

4 to 1 are DIAGNOSED, not existing in general.

[@Hensch]

what?

[@Thelordsrain]

Hensch diagnosed, so not existing in society. There are more girls in real life with ASD than diagnosed

[@TheTracer1966]

If I understand correctly, your summary of the reaearch is that some unique combination of medication and behavior modifications for the ASD+ADHD individual is needed to help the Neuro Diverse adequately appear "normal" and fit in. To me this seems like institutionalized masking. It also stands in opposition to all the presentations -- mostly by actual ASD people -- which say masking is killing the Neuro Diverse, and what they really need is just enough room to be who they are.

[@jamie3039]

As a person with both conditions, I have been studying a lot about them and how they are treated. Firstly, people who are seeking treatment are feeling distressed by symptoms that are impairing their lives. This is a very different mindset than trying to "fit in". For Autism, at this time, there is no medication to address it. But for ADHD, there are several types of medications that help increase focus and reduce impulsivity. They enable the brain to function better. Executive Function Disorder leads to significant impairments in someone's life. And it impacts different people in different ways. Some people are unable to hold down a job, get into massive debt from impulse spending, become addicted to drugs or alcohol, or commit suicide from having impaired emotional regulation. Some people with ADHD take medicine to try to ease these symptoms so that they can have stability and a functional, happy life. And then there are also antidepressants and things that can help co-morbid conditions. I personally don't take any medication, but I appreciate that medical treatment does help people. I have heard stories about how thankful people are for their ADHD medicine because they were actually able to sit down and complete a task with ease for the first time in their life. I celebrate their victories. And then CBT or other kinds of therapy are very useful for learning executive function skills and social skills, which help us be able to adult and have friends and not be lonely and things like that. It's sad if anyone has an agenda of trying to make the neurodiverse "typical", but I think the majority of clinicians are just interested in helping people overcome what is bothering them. That's what Dr. Brown said about his patients. He listens to them and what they came to him to overcome and addresses that, regardless of the labels (ASD/ADHD) that contributed to it.

[@camellia8625]

I get where you are coming from - I think it is great if neuro divergent people can work in environments that suit them on tasks that interest them in a way that is consistent with how their brain works. However if the neuro divergent person themselves wishes to succeed in education or gainful employment in conventional settings it is good that they have the option to take ADHD meds which may help them focus better. It is about what the neuro divergent individual themselves wants at that stage of their lives.

[@gregorybabbitt2082]

I sometimes wonder if ASD and ADHD type personality traits, which often co-occur in many people, might actually represent a much evolutionary older form of 'normal' in human behavior. If you think about it, in their higher functioning manifestations, these traits can be quite advantageous in the natural environment. The love of repetitive motion and routine (ASD) could have been harnessed for all sorts of adaptive technological things like spinning wool, grinding corn, gathering nuts and seeds, or making stone tools, whereas the ability to be hyperactive and notice changes in finer details of the environment (i.e. distractions with ADHD) could have been clearly an asset in tracking and hunting. Only once cities and civilizations were built upon the backs of these hard-working and talented people, would the neurotypical traits and social politics that evolved with them become more useful. Has anyone out there ever seen any academic study of this idea? I would love to see a video exploring this possibility.

[@rubyray9890]

Agree with you. I think ADHD was developed to help the gatherers in ancient times to deal with the nature.

[@Domdeone1]

How do you materialise your thoughts into creatively writing &/or the visual arts so not to be distracted? Was diagnosed at 42, at 53 still about to go on Elvance but mind racing is a, if not the obstacle. I know about prioritising in theory but putting into practice is another.

[@HYPRdream]

Wow I’m an artist and really struggle with that too!

[@HYPRdream]

@domdeone1

[@theexplodedguys264]

Well my way is, it just makes my brain happier when I do stuff like that.

[@Domdeone1]

I'm going to do some artwork now. I remember how l felt after l previously did some, felt like a natural high.

[@lalunacee9168]

@@Domdeone1 music helps me get creative, poetry I love, Sadhguru is amazing too, can be found on here, yogic sciences , meditation have helped.

[@CeCe-fh2ix]

My mother had autism. I have ADHD. I knew there was a connection! Thank you for the video

[@_Memes4Days_]

when you have autism, executive functioning disorder, and ADD

[@shawnaaustin3396]

My husband can’t even be in the same room when me and my son are watching a movie together because we try to talk over the movie lines and over one another 🤣 We are both on the spectrum.

[@heartsmyfaceforever8140]

Maybe all our brains aren’t MEANT to be the same.

[@melancholica999]

I'm sure they are not. There's a beauty (and art) in a specific ways our brains function. But we live in society that is designed by and for neurotypical people, which is why most of us on the spectrum have difficulties existing in it. More knowledge, more acceptance and ADHD and Autism friendly spaces are a goal for the researchers, I hope.

[@princesskf5157]

I agree with you🙏

[@autumnpendergast9151]

How boring would it be!

[@Rebelgs1]

My mother s autistic my father has Adhd. It was hell of a ride with a lot of pain and excitement. As a result I have both disorders😂🎉😢 Finally my feet on the ground in my mid 40s.

[@michaelcallahan4180]

Thank God for apps that amplify super quiet videos

[@emilyeah]

Great presentation, lovely tone of voice and melody.

[@SPARKforAutism]

We're so glad you enjoyed!

[@kateparkhouse6693]

This fit’s me to a T but I’m an Adult Woman trying to get the acknowledgment about these issues “I don’t look like I have Mental Health issues” I’d be trilled if I could be a test subject how do I find those kinds of resources. I know I have dyslexia, I’ve got anxiety and depression, I have been told I have ADHD Hypo and through researching my special interests I have discovered I’m likely Autistic and not I’m trying to get help but most resources I’ve found are just for kids, I don’t feel like I’m not quite a complete adult. I’ve been through CBT and it’s helped a bit but I still feel like I’m constantly missing something in my life and maybe being Austic is the answer to me. But now I feel I’ve hit a wall finding the solution. How do you get an evaluation?

[@NothingByHalves]

What country do you live in? In the UK we can either book privately (and pay a small fortune) for a diagnosis or be referred by a GP which takes months if not years. Researching Autism groups and charities in your country will give you the answer. However. I took the online autism test (50 questions) and rather than go for a diagnosis, I discovered I found more help through the comments and videos posted on KZbin. My favourites so far are Sarah Hendrickx, Aspergers from the Inside, Yo Samdy Sam, and Purple Ella. After spending my whole life trying to change who I am (and getting confused because I had very big trauma in my teens so have spent the last seven years recovering from that) I realised I didn't want to go through the diagnostic procedure for somebody else to tell me who I was or what "disorder" I have. The trick for me is to understand what I need to function best and succeed in what I want to do, and avoid the things that deplete me and grind my brain to a halt.

[@celinahuezo5518]

It's hard for me to get diagnosed as well. I'm telling my therapist but it's not going anywhere. I would say speak to your doctor

[@camellia8625]

In the UK there is now a policy of right to choose (either a recognised private provider or an out of area NHS provider) if you cannot get an NHS autism or ADHD diagnosis within a reasonable time frame. Health Watch and an advocacy service can help you exercise this right. There is the Autism Act and NICE guidelines which are helpful to know about if you have trouble getting a GP referral. If there is a autism support group in your area, you may be able to find out about how others have managed to get a diagnosis locally and what services / help is available post diagnosis.

[@recoveringsoul755]

comorbidities like dyslexia, anxiety, depression, ADHD, ADD and Epilepsy can have medications or treatments associated with them. Children with autism grow up to be adults with special needs too.

[@JL-ih1ws]

Great info but.. like, um... autistic children do actually evolve and become autistic adults so this is great for kids but what about the cornucopia of adults with autism? No one seems to care about autistic people when they become adults. Do you mind doing one for adults because autistic children do actually become adults (who have autism) and then all of these ideas for support are literally not effective. Autistic adults fall between the cracks at every opportunity. Why? Anyone?

[@Leopardvixen369]

I agree. There’s not a lot of resources out there for adults with ASD/ADHD. I’m certain I represent a dual diagnosis, but there’s not a lot of doctors out there who are skilled at diagnosing both or, sometimes, pulling apart your symptoms and sensitivities to diagnose one or the other. I have a high IQ and doctors spent years misdiagnosing me as a child. Bipolar and mood disorders were what I was diagnosed as a child. Then, I got to 14 and things started getting harder for me in school. I was classified “emotionally disturbed” (I’m not kidding. How ableist is that?!) and sent to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me as ADHD. At the time, I had no idea to connect my sensory problems with my mental health symptoms. I didn’t even know how to vocalize them properly to my mother. How do you explain that certain fabric textures overstimulate me when you’re a little kid!? Also, if you make certain sounds with fabric, it makes me instantly angry and it’s overstimulation to wear them or look at them or listen to the sounds they make. My mom couldn’t comb or brush my hair as a kid so I had a boy’s haircut for most of my childhood. I got bullied for it a lot. I have extremely sensitive skin and scalp. Bright lights hurt my eyes and make them water. Sudden loud sounds or high pitched loud sounds make me jump. I’m always wearing my noise canceling headphones. Certain food textures are a no go for me. I eat the same food for weeks at a time sometimes. I’m very repetitive with food options. My life is a mess right now because I had almost no intervention as a child. My high IQ saved me from having to study so I never learned how to properly do it. I don’t know how to take proper notes either. I didn’t finish high school because my mom got tired of a terrible child study team at school and gave up and signed me out at almost 17. I was going to get my GED, but I ended up as a passenger in a very bad car accident when I was 18 and healing from that took up years and years. After all that time, taking the test makes me very nervous because I feel like I forgot a lot of stuff. I have zero self esteem. I want to go to college and get a degree, but this GED is in the way and I’ve built it up so high that it terrifies me to even try. I think I’d pass, but the uncertainty kills me. I just started seeing a new psychiatrist, but I’m not sure she’s right for me. I think I need a psychologist and some CBT and I asked her about it, but she said she doesn’t know anyone that works with adults for CBT. I’d like to be officially diagnosed with ASD, but I hear the process can be traumatizing for middle aged women. Especially those with higher IQ. If I didn’t have ADHD symptoms, I’d probably have been able to finish school and college. I just need some help getting my life together. If someone points me in the right direction, I’d probably be ok. I just need guidance. I’m no good on my own. 😢

[@jaanglover68]

So useful, well organized and expressed!

[@theJellyjoker]

1:19 "normal" conversations sound like artificial dialogue. It doesn't help that their words sometimes sound "choppy", I don't know how else to describe it. it'S likE theY puT a stesS aT thE enD oF wordS. That's makes it difficult to comprehend because it's actually painful to listen to. I don't mean what they're saying, it's how their saying it.

[@SM-ok3sz]

The vocal fry is strong with this one

[@karleebarley]

this video has inaccurate information

[@Dancestar1981]

I have both Aspergers and ADHD Inattentive

[@teresakathryn1559]

I understand exactly what you going through, I'm writing from Canada! I used Dr isibor natural herbal calming remedies and body cleanser for my autistic daughter with ADHD. It works! no side effects my daughter behaves normal now..

[@SM-ok3sz]

Congratulations?

[@осел-л8з]

@@teresakathryn1559 ...

[@robinwhitman8840]

Is it three different ones. Hyperactivity, autism and attention deficits

[@TristineBarry]

Thank you!

[@Neilgs]

This is not only extraordinarily dry and boring, it is indeed from an evidence-based AFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE entirely misleading and wrong

[@kuujjuaq58]

pass the mustard, please, yesterday, now.

[@Neilgs]

@@kuujjuaq58 Now, is that, perchance, with or without ketchup? What a dumb response!

[@captainzork6109]

Which perspective do you prefer?

[@Neilgs]

@@captainzork6109One that is in accord not with this misleading, antiquated and programmatic surface nonsense but rather with Developmental Affective Neuroscience, Infant and Childhood Mental Health, Interpersonal Neurobiology and Polyvagal Theory.

[@captainzork6109]

@@Neilgs Ah. So you're all about the brain science, eh? Do you believe psychology is incomplete without brain science, or perhaps even that psychology is pseudoscience?

[@theJellyjoker]

3:23 Neurotypicals have an abnormally low interest in their chosen topic. I've noticed that with my doctors, most don't seem to keep up with the latest research in their fields. TFW You are the smartest person in the room! 🤓 TFW You're at your doctor's office. 😨

[@zooms7889]

Me in a nutshell

[@theexplodedguys264]

Me too 😀

[@shahidahmed5779]

I think its both genetics and biomedical disfunctions/

[@jojozepofthejungle2655]

Attention deficit is the WRONG phrase, and I hope it's changed very soon. We get 100 scenarios per question that is asked of us. The defeated part happens when you guys fire question after question and don't really want an answer. You want to take over the conversation because you think we are stupid. Then, when we are answering one of your questions, you are repeating our name to bring us to your point. Eventually, we overload and try to explain that you must give us time to answer, but you can't hear our pleas because you're still talking over us. So, who is rude here? You are. You tell us it's just mindset and insult our intelligence. We just think, "What a hiveminded moron." We are intelligent and highly spiritual by nature. In the Amazon jungle, we would be chosen for shamanism, and you would follow us. It was people like us who knew what was edible and what was medicine because we are half way in this world and halfway out. I understand physics, quantum mechanics, and theory of relativity, can fix anything I've seen anyone else do, and I'm the idiot? If that's true, then I'm an alien to this world. Having to remember to slow down for people and add all that small talk, I have nothing to say. All the important stuff is lost but we said that the weather is good. I need more than this in life.