Autism and ADHD: Understanding the Overlap Through a Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens

If you’ve ever wondered whether autism and ADHD can coexist—or why so many adults feel seen by both—you’re not alone. At Little Seed Counseling, we often work with people who have spent years feeling misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or overlooked because their experiences didn’t fit neatly into one box.

Let’s talk about autism and ADHD in a way that is clear, affirming, and grounded in real lived experience, not stereotypes.

Autism and ADHD: What’s the Difference?

Autism and ADHD are both neurotypes, meaning natural variations in how brains process information, emotions, sensory input, and relationships. While they are distinct, they share meaningful overlap.

Autism often includes:

• Differences in social communication and reciprocity

• Strong sensory preferences or sensitivities

• Deep interests and pattern-based thinking

• A need for predictability, routine, or clarity

• Processing the world in a bottom-up, detail-oriented way

ADHD often includes:

• Differences in attention regulation (not a lack of attention)

• Difficulty with task initiation, prioritization, or time awareness

• Emotional intensity or rapid emotional shifts

• Internal restlessness or mental hyperactivity

• A nervous system that seeks novelty or stimulation

Neither neurotype is a deficit. Both are shaped by how the world responds to the brain, not by something being “wrong” with the person.

The Autism + ADHD Overlap (AuDHD)

Many adults identify with both autism and ADHD—a combination often referred to as AuDHD. This overlap can look like:

• Craving routine and struggling to maintain it

• Loving structure but resisting rigid systems

• Deep focus on interests paired with difficulty starting daily tasks

• Strong sensory needs mixed with impulsivity or novelty-seeking

• High empathy with social exhaustion

This blend is one reason so many people—especially women, LGBTQ+ folks, and late-diagnosed adults—were missed in childhood. Their traits didn’t look like the narrow, outdated models often taught in schools or clinics.

Why So Many Adults Are Diagnosed Later in Life

Late-identified autistic and ADHD adults often describe years of:

• Masking to fit in

• Overfunctioning to compensate

• Feeling “too much” or “not enough”

• Internalizing shame instead of receiving support

Many learned how to survive—but not how to feel at ease.

At Little Seed, we view late diagnosis not as something to “fix,” but as an invitation to understand yourself with compassion.

A Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach to Therapy

Our work is rooted in the belief that:

• There is no one right way to be autistic or ADHD

• Skills can be helpful without erasing identity

• Coping tools should support autonomy, not compliance

• The goal isn’t to tolerate harmful systems—it’s to help you have choice

We may teach skills, yes—but always alongside:

• Processing grief and identity shifts

• Exploring sensory and nervous system needs

• Naming how systemic expectations cause harm

• Building a life that works with your brain

Autism, ADHD, and the Nervous System

Both autism and ADHD involve nervous system differences, not behavioral problems. What looks like “avoidance,” “shutdown,” or “disorganization” is often a nervous system communicating:

This environment isn’t working for me.

Therapy becomes most effective when we listen to that message rather than trying to override it.

At Little Seed Counseling, we don’t ask:

• “How do we make you more neurotypical?”

We ask:

• “What do you need to feel safe, regulated, and supported?”

• “What systems are working—and which ones aren’t?”

• “How can we reduce the friction between you and the world?”

Whether you’re exploring an autism assessment, an ADHD evaluation, or simply trying to understand yourself more fully, you deserve care that sees the whole you.

Looking for Autism- and ADHD-Affirming Therapy?

We work with adults who are:

• Exploring autism, ADHD, or both

• Late-diagnosed or self-identified

• Burned out from masking

• Navigating identity, relationships, or work stress

• Wanting therapy that doesn’t try to “fix” them

If this resonates, you’re in the right place.

There is nothing "wrong" with you.

Your nervous system makes sense.

And growth doesn’t require erasing who you are.