“5 Unique Features of AuDHD in Women”

AuDHD women are misunderstood. Despite the growing prevalence of the ADHD-autism diagnosis, many people — including clinicians — don’t grasp what it’s like living in the intersection of two overlapping yet distinct neurotypes.As an AuDHD woman, here are features and experiences that I’ve come to learn are particularly unique to us. (Which would you add?

Tell us in the comments.)For AuDHD women, masking isn't just about hiding autistic traits. It’s about managing the constant internal tug-of-war between competing neurological drives, all while appearing effortlessly neurotypical.Our autistic selves crave structure, while our ADHD selves crave novelty and spontaneity.

We may feel profoundly bored by our daily routines but deeply unsettled by the thought of mixing things up. We may plan to follow a structured day, only to abandon it impulsively because it’s too rigid for our “ADHD side” to handle.Our social differences can combine with our impulsivity to land us in a vicious cycle.

In the moment, we may communicate in a haphazard, impulsive fashion, then intensively analyze those interactions afterward, trying to figure out how we came across.Social expectations complicate this already-complex balancing act.