ADHD or Autism? Sometimes It’s Both.

Your child has an ADHD diagnosis — but quietly, you've found yourself wondering if there's something more going on. The strategies help with focus, but they don't touch the meltdowns. Or the social exhaustion. Or the way your child needs everything to stay exactly the same.In this video, I'm walking through a phenomenon called diagnostic overshadowing — where an ADHD diagnosis can mask autistic characteristics, sometimes for years. Not because anyone missed something obvious. But because ADHD and autism can look so similar from the outside, while the why underneath is completely different.I break down four patterns where ADHD and autism overlap but call for different support: 🔄 Transitions — why both can cause meltdowns, and why the autistic brain experiences the gap between expected and actual as an alarm 👥 Social struggles — impulsivity vs. genuinely not understanding the hidden rules 🎯 Interests — hyperfocus that chases novelty vs. deep interests that regulate the nervous system 🤸 Movement & sensory — fidgeting for alertness vs. movement tied to specific sensory needsWhen both sets of characteristics are present, your child's needs can seem contradictory. That's not a sign you're doing something wrong. It's a sign the support needs to get more layered.📌 If this video gave you a new way of understanding your child, drop a comment — was there a moment that especially clicked for you? And subscribing helps you find future videos more easily, too. Work with me: Ready for personalized help? I work with a small number of families in my coaching program. If you're serious about creating lasting change (not just quick fixes), complete the brief application here — I review every submission personally: autismparentsolutions.com/apply VIDEO TO WATCH NEXT: Why Friendship Feels So Hard for Autistic Kids    • Why Friendship Feels So Hard for Autistic ...   Contact me: [email protected] -- Andrea J. Pollack, MSEd. Autism Parent Solutions, LLC [email protected] https://autismparentsolutions.com/ (646) 872-0500