What is AuDHD? Understanding the Overlap and Why Finding the Right Support Can Be Tricky.

If you’ve heard the term AuDHD and wondered what it means, you’re not alone. More and more people are beginning to recognise this unique combination of neurodivergence, yet it’s still often misunderstood — even by professionals.

I’m AuDHD myself, and finally understanding what that meant was like being handed the right operations manual for my brain after years of trying to read the wrong one. That moment of clarity was life-changing — and it’s why I’m so passionate about helping others make sense of their AuDHD journey.

Understanding both parts of the story

What is AuDHD?

AuDHD is a shorthand way of describing the co-occurrence of autism and ADHD in the same person. It’s not a separate diagnosis in itself (or even a diagnosis term), but rather an acknowledgement that both sets of traits can exist together.

Research suggests that this overlap is far more common than previously thought — with many late-diagnosed adults only now discovering why one “label” never fully explained their experience. Until recently, that confusion was almost built into the system. In the DSM-IV (the diagnostic manual used until 2013), you actually couldn’t be diagnosed with both autism and ADHD — one diagnosis automatically excluded the other. Wild, right? It’s only with newer research and updated criteria (DSM-5 and beyond) that professionals have been able to recognise how often these two things occur together.

For mums especially, AuDHD may only come to light later in life. For many of us, we discover this about ourselves through the diagnosis of a child and it can be a shock. Frustratingly, women are still woefully diagnosed (4-8 times less than males). We mask and intuitively develop management strategies and supports which work OK - when we have kids, so much changes and many of these supports fall away, exposing the cracks. When we seek help it is too often mislabelled as other things, anxiety, depression, overwhelm.

How AuDHD Feels Different

Living with both autism and ADHD can sometimes feel like being pulled in opposite directions. ADHD brings a drive for novelty, energy, and movement. Autism brings a need for predictability, routine, and sensory safety. When these meet, the result can be both a gift and a challenge.

Here are a few common experiences people describe:

• Time feels slippery — you may hyperfocus for hours, or lose track of time entirely, making routines tricky.

• Sensory overwhelm hits harder — bright lights, noise, or textures can feel unbearable when your system is already overloaded.

• Social interactions are complex — you may crave connection but find the unwritten rules exhausting to decode.

• Your energy swings — one day you can achieve ten things at once, the next you can barely get out of bed.

  
  

It can feel like being wired to go fast and slow at the same time. Confusing? Absolutely. But when you finally recognise the AuDHD patterns and needs at play, things start to make sense.

Why Finding the Right Support Can Be Tricky

One of the hardest parts of being AuDHD is that traditional support systems don’t always “see” the overlap.

• Services are often siloed — autism support on one side, ADHD support on the other. Rarely do professionals have training in both.

• Traits can mask each other — hyperactivity might be dismissed as “just ADHD” while sensory needs are overlooked, or social struggles chalked up to autism without recognising executive function difficulties.

• Support can be pathologising — many mums are given strategies that make them feel broken or inadequate, rather than affirmed and understood.

• Explaining the duality can be tough — It can be really hard for non AuADHDers to understand how being AuADHD feels and what it is like in our brains. We can feel judged and unheard.

• Unsupportive strategies  — A lot of traditional strategies (like CBT) can be hard for us and sometimes strategies can help make somethings easier but other things harder. Like taking rest - it could be what your autistic part craves, but your ADHD part can't slow down and rest.

  
  

This gap can leave people feeling stuck, dismissed, or like they’re forever falling through the cracks. That’s why finding neuroaffirming support — support that sees the whole of you — is so important.

What AuDHD Support Looks Like

The best support for AuDHD recognises the interplay of both Autism and ADHD. It’s about working with your unique wiring, not against it. It is about taking the time to understand your reality and how this presents for you each day - working out the things that are easy and the prickly bits too.

Support might include:

• Counselling for the emotional side — identity, self-acceptance, mum guilt, grief after diagnosis.

• Coaching for the practical side — systems, routines, energy management, and strategies that work for your brain.

• Community spaces where you can connect with others who “get it” without judgement.

• Other Allied Health support like Occupational or Speech therapists to help you develop strategies and accommodations to help your environment work for you.

At Mumshine, I offer both neuroaffirming counselling and AuDHD coaching tailored to neurodivergent mums, as well as a post-diagnosis support package to help you navigate those first steps after finding out you’re AuDHD. There's no, one size fits all mechanism for support - it needs to be tailored to you, to your needs, to your life and your own unique brain. I know if can be overwhelming to know where to start so I offer free discovery calls to assess where you are at and work out what might be the right support for you, right now.

It’s not about fixing you. It’s about supporting you to be you - so you can build a life that works with the brain that you have - rather than fight against it. This starts with compassion and understanding.

Moving Forward with Compassion

Being AuDHD isn’t a flaw. It’s a different way of being in the world — one that comes with creativity, passion, deep empathy, and resilience. When you have the right support, you can build a life that feels more spacious, aligned, and joyful.

If you’ve recently discovered you’re AuDHD, or you suspect you might be, please know: you are not broken, you are not alone, and you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself.

Because you deserve support that understands the whole of you.

FAQs about AuDHD

Is AuDHD a real diagnosis? Not officially in diagnostic manuals, but it’s widely used by clinicians and the neurodivergent community to describe the co-occurrence of autism and ADHD.

How common is AuDHD?

Research suggests that around 60–80% of autistic people also meet criteria for ADHD, and vice versa. It’s more common than once believed.

Can mums get AuDHD support in Australia? Yes. Services like online counselling and coaching (including those at Mumshine) are available Australia-wide, making support more accessible no matter where you live.