In September 2025, I found an opportunity on LinkedIn to contribute to the first ever AuDHD Day and I wanted to be a part of it. It was a day dedicated to raising awareness of people like me who have both ADHD and autism.
Having two such contradictory conditions can be a difficult thing to experience. ADHD can affect your focus, memory and organisation. It often makes people restless, impulsive and crave variety. Autism on the other hand needs rules, structure and clarity and often doesn’t cope well with change.
Getting one diagnosis is hard these days; I know several people who’ve been waiting years for an assessment. Getting both is quite the achievement. It’s certainly explained a few things for me.
My journey to diagnosis began after I supported my daughter through hers. I always knew I was different to most people I met, but I grew up mirroring, mimicking and masking so no-one really noticed. At least, not on the surface, but I think there was always something that gave me away. I was trying to learn the rules as I went along by observing how people are expected to behave. Quite early on I learnt that as long as you make eye contact with people, they think you’re paying attention. And everyone knows that you can’t make eye contact if you’re autistic. (This is not at all true by the way.)
It took me longer to realise that not everyone is honest all of the time. I am very open and honest, partly because that’s the only way I know how to be, but also because I just don’t see the point in lying. I find it best to stick with the truth because I can never remember what I’ve told anyone anyway.
I will not make assumptions or read between lines because I don’t want to get things wrong. If you want me to know something you have to tell me, clearly and specifically that this is the thing you want me to know. But be prepared, because I will always ask questions.
Since I’ve started writing about my experiences I’ve discovered that I’m enjoying it. I’ve written a few articles already, which I want to share so I’m going to start publishing them here.
Here's the article that got me started, Hiding in plain sight, AuDHD with multiple identities.
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