Hey I’m allistic and I just wanted to know if you feel comfortable outlining some of the ways allistic adhd ppl over talk autistic ppl (so I can avoid that). There is overlap in within the neurodivergent community but I don’t want to silence my friends and peers
Well, I can't and won't try to speak for every other autistic out there, but I can try to respond from my point of view ( I hope this comes out well ) :
As one sight puts it "People who have traits that stretch across both autism and ADHD diagnoses often face more serious challenges than those with either diagnosis alone- they can have greater impairments in adaptive functioning ( a term that refers to self-care and daily living skills, and more "severe" social/cognitive 'issues'"
According to the CDC, 14% of people with ADHD also have Autism- those with both - again - are more likely to have learning and social imparimetns and difficulties.
ADHD and autism are related BUT they are not the same. I say all this as a preface -
I'm not saying allistic ADHD people don't struggle at all, but bare with me -
It seems like the best way I can tell differences is 'degrees' - sure people with ADHD may struggle with social issues but if it is nigh impossible to communicate effectively and hold up friendships/any social relationship you start going into Autism territory. People with ADHD may have sensory issues, yes, but if you aren't completely overwhelemed to the point you cannot talk adn you withdraw completely into yourself or meltdown/shutdown then you can't honesly relate to an autistic person's point of view and daily living.
Yes, ADHD has a major impact on one's life - but not to the likeness and perhaps even degree to autism does. I don't believe in pitting each other against one another as we are one neurodiverse family - but more and more I see people with ADHD either claiming to be autistic ( which, ok - not touching that part just yet ) or claiming autistic traits to be ADHD ones. ( Much like those claiming raptor hands as an ADHD thing when it is very traditionally and perhaps diagnoistically an autistic thing ).
Or if an autisitic only group is specifically speaking about autism and autistic experiences - often we have allistic ADHD people butting in like "I DON'T HAVE AUTISM BUT---". Those shouldn't happen. If it is an autistic only space/post, then it is an autistic only. I don't care if we are neurodiverse cousins or whatnot - allistic adhd people have no right to barge into autistic spaces and pretend to understand everything we go through, to the degree we go through it.
There is overlap. They are also different things. Very different. I have an allistic ADHD friend - there is a distinct, obvious difference between us. ( I have adhd, autism and learnign disabilities and was in special ed ).
Claiming words like "special interest" which is an autsitic only phrase, and using it interchangably with "hyperfixation" is something i see often and it ( maybe im one of onnly a few bothered with this one ) upsets me.
you can be allistic ADHD and have sensory problems, etc, but from what i see we autistic people still experience this world very very differently and allistic adhd people butting into autsitic only spaces by claiming autistic platforms by over-speaking us, stealign our terms, etc, is disrespectful.
And yes a few people with ADHD may very well just be undiagnosed as an autistic person as well. I'm not talking about those cases.
But it seems like adhd people have become too comfortable with the fact there is overlap between adhd adn autism that they forget there are major differences - there are several circle charts on pintrest and tumblr and the internet that show it better than I can word and explain in.
I guess i could just say it as "Stay in your lane".
One thing that also gets me, personally, is ADHD people not realizing that yes you expereience similar things to what we Autistics do - but just because you can relate does not mean you are autistic. I don't wanna come across as gate-keepy and I hope i'M explaining this right. If I mis-answered you, please let me know. Communication is very hard for me even though I can type well.
Also there are other creators out there who can better explain things and provide examples case by case whereas I can't without naming names and making this seem like a call-out post and I want to avoid discourse as this blog is a safe spot for me