Until very recently, the diagnostic criteria made it impossible for one person to be diagnosed with both autism and ADHD, but we now know that it’s extremely common for them to co-occur. Sometimes the experiences associated with autism and ADHD seem to conspire together and each one amplifies the impact of the other. Sometimes they balance each other out, in ways which can be helpful but can also lead to a “rollercoaster” experience of everyday life. In some ways, they combine to create a unique third thing, AuDHD, which is not exactly like either autism or ADHD; this can get in the way of neurodivergence being accurately identified, as the person isn’t a neat fit with any set of diagnostic criteria.
Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event
- Learn about the overlaps and interactions of ADHD and autism, and the unique features of the combined AuDHD profile.
- Understand the ways in which ADHD and autism can combine and amplify each other, and learn how to manage this
- Find strategies to use the different profiles of autism and ADHD to counterbalance each other, without leaning too far into the “seesaw effect”.
Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?
- Anyone wanting to make sense of their own neurotype, or to recognise and understand the combination of autism and ADHD in others, in diagnostic or therapeutic work or in their personal life.
How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?
- This will help you to recognise the presentation and impact of autism plus ADHD, and learn how to use the strengths and resources of this particular profile
Course Content
Presenter
Dr Emma Taylor is a Clinical Psychologist with over twenty years of experience working with neurodivergent adults and children in clinical, diagnostic and academic contexts. She works therapeutically with adults of all ages, genders and neurotypes, as well as carrying out formal diagnostic assessments for autism and ADHD, and providing supervision to other therapists. She has been practising mindfulness for twenty years, and uses it as part of her therapeutic work.
