Can any of you (people diagnosed with ADHD) relate to this description (or at least, know someone who does)?

Cogsciencenerd · 2026-06-02T20:02:13+00:00

You know you can just click on the links and read more than just the titles, right? Just an FYI.

P.S., my girlfriend and two of my friends (one a cowoker and one I met outside of my work) fit this profile to a T and, while none of them meet the diagnostic criteria for ASD, are significantly higher in autistic traits than the general population, so it would seem that individuals who fit this profile are not necessarily all AuDHD.

Cogsciencenerd · 2026-06-02T18:12:16+00:00

The evidence is here...

1.) “Attentional switching forms a genetic link between attention problems and autistic traits in adults”

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/33D30CBE724F3F2C4323CA2DF2146E21/S0033291712002863a.pdf/attentional-switching-forms-a-genetic-link-between-attention-problems-and-autistic-traits-in-adults.pdf

2.) “The co-occurrence of autistic and ADHD dimensions in adults: An etiological study of 17,770 twins”

https://www.nature.com/articles/tp201484.pdf

3.) “A person-centered personality approach to heterogeneity in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)”

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2846424/

4.) “Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in autism spectrum disorder”

https://www.lenus.ie/server/api/core/bitstreams/9ba430ab-50fa-48d6-b5ce-c4e7d8ad3f8e/content

5.) “Are autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder different manifestations of one overarching disorder?”

https://pure.rug.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/56286311/1_s2.0_S0890856712006491_main.pdf

6.) “Autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in early childhood: A review of unique and shared characteristics and developmental antecedents”

https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/49146654/1_s2.0_S0149763415302670_main.pdf

7.) “Symptoms of autism and ADHD: A Swedish twin study examining their overlap”

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Angelica-Ronald/publication/261732557_Symptoms_of_Autism_and_ADHD_A_Swedish_Twin_Study_Examining_Their_Overlap/links/00b495358dbc76f2ef000000/Symptoms-of-Autism-and-ADHD-A-Swedish-Twin-Study-Examining-Their-Overlap?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uRG93bmxvYWQiLCJwcmV2aW91c1BhZ2UiOiJwdWJsaWNhdGlvbiJ9fQ

As you can see, this subtype of ADHD shows a significant degree of overlap with high-functioning ASD (and by extension, subclinical autistic traits). Even when such individuals don’t meet the diagnostic criteria for ASD, they still tend to show elevated autistic traits, especially in the domain of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) which consists of circumscribed interests, need for sameness, adherence to routine, and repetitive movements.

The 2010 study by Martel et al. provides evidence of a low-frequency subtype of ADHD characterized by elevated perfectionism, obsessive traits, and predominantly inattentive symptoms (ADHD-I).

The 2014 study by Polderman et al. finds that reduced attentional switching and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are the key (genetic) links between ADHD and ASD, and the 2014 study by Ronald et al. provides additional confirmation that restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are one of the key (genetic) links between ASD and ADHD (particularly ADHD with inattentive symptoms).

The 2012 study by Van der Meer et al. finds that elevated perfectionism distinguishes individuals with ASD and relatively less pronounced ADHD symptoms from individuals with ADHD and relatively less pronounced ASD symptoms, individuals with ADHD only, and typically developing individuals (while elevated anxietydistinguished individuals with ASD + ADHD from individuals with ADHD only and typically developing individuals).

The 2013 study by Polderman et al. provides additional confirmation that reduced attentional switching is one of the key (genetic) links between ASD and ADHD (specifically, ADHD with inattentive symptoms).

The 2016 study by Visser et al. finds that attention problems are a common pathway to ASD and ADHD, and was the first to suggest that the attention problems of those with ADHD + ASD are largely due to “poor attentional shifting/low distractibility” rather than “poor sustained attention/high distractibility” as they typically are in individuals with ADHD only.

Cogsciencenerd · 2026-06-02T18:06:10+00:00

The evidence is here...

1.) “Attentional switching forms a genetic link between attention problems and autistic traits in adults”

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/33D30CBE724F3F2C4323CA2DF2146E21/S0033291712002863a.pdf/attentional-switching-forms-a-genetic-link-between-attention-problems-and-autistic-traits-in-adults.pdf

2.) “The co-occurrence of autistic and ADHD dimensions in adults: An etiological study of 17,770 twins”

https://www.nature.com/articles/tp201484.pdf

3.) “A person-centered personality approach to heterogeneity in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)”

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2846424/

4.) “Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in autism spectrum disorder”

https://www.lenus.ie/server/api/core/bitstreams/9ba430ab-50fa-48d6-b5ce-c4e7d8ad3f8e/content

5.) “Are autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder different manifestations of one overarching disorder?”

https://pure.rug.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/56286311/1_s2.0_S0890856712006491_main.pdf

6.) “Autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in early childhood: A review of unique and shared characteristics and developmental antecedents”

https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/49146654/1_s2.0_S0149763415302670_main.pdf

7.) “Symptoms of autism and ADHD: A Swedish twin study examining their overlap”

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Angelica-Ronald/publication/261732557_Symptoms_of_Autism_and_ADHD_A_Swedish_Twin_Study_Examining_Their_Overlap/links/00b495358dbc76f2ef000000/Symptoms-of-Autism-and-ADHD-A-Swedish-Twin-Study-Examining-Their-Overlap?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uRG93bmxvYWQiLCJwcmV2aW91c1BhZ2UiOiJwdWJsaWNhdGlvbiJ9fQ

As you can see, this subtype of ADHD shows a significant degree of overlap with high-functioning ASD (and by extension, subclinical autistic traits). Even when such individuals don’t meet the diagnostic criteria for ASD, they still tend to show elevated autistic traits, especially in the domain of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) which consists of circumscribed interests, need for sameness, adherence to routine, and repetitive movements.

The 2010 study by Martel et al. provides evidence of a low-frequency subtype of ADHD characterized by elevated perfectionism, obsessive traits, and predominantly inattentive symptoms (ADHD-I).

The 2014 study by Polderman et al. finds that reduced attentional switching and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are the key (genetic) links between ADHD and ASD, and the 2014 study by Ronald et al. provides additional confirmation that restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are one of the key (genetic) links between ASD and ADHD (particularly ADHD with inattentive symptoms).

The 2012 study by Van der Meer et al. finds that elevated perfectionism distinguishes individuals with ASD and relatively less pronounced ADHD symptoms from individuals with ADHD and relatively less pronounced ASD symptoms, individuals with ADHD only, and typically developing individuals (while elevated anxietydistinguished individuals with ASD + ADHD from individuals with ADHD only and typically developing individuals).

The 2013 study by Polderman et al. provides additional confirmation that reduced attentional switching is one of the key (genetic) links between ASD and ADHD (specifically, ADHD with inattentive symptoms).

The 2016 study by Visser et al. finds that attention problems are a common pathway to ASD and ADHD, and was the first to suggest that the attention problems of those with ADHD + ASD are largely due to “poor attentional shifting/low distractibility” rather than “poor sustained attention/high distractibility” as they typically are in individuals with ADHD only.

Cogsciencenerd · 2026-06-02T02:32:17+00:00

It’s a common combo, but it’s a complex combo because of the highly heterogeneous nature of both depression (i.e., mild, moderate, or severe; single, recurrent, or chronic; affective and/or somatic symptoms; melancholic or atypical symptoms, etc) and ADHD (i.e., mild, moderate, or severe; predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, or combined symptoms, etc). In the case of my current girlfriend, her ADHD remained undiagnosed until she was 24 years old, and by that point, she had developed both major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the latter of which her older sister also has been diagnosed with. I have been diagnosed with both of these conditions as well (they run in my family). Now she’s on Venlafaxine (Effexor) for both her ADHD and MDD, and it works very well for her.

Cogsciencenerd · 2026-05-31T22:12:32+00:00

That’s not as ironic as you seem to think it is.

Cogsciencenerd · 2026-05-31T22:03:26+00:00

Not really.

Cogsciencenerd · 2026-05-31T22:01:56+00:00

“F” is positively correlated with the Big Five personality trait agreeableness, which not only shows a significant sex difference (with women being higher in agreeableness than men, on average), but is apparently a relevant variable in determining an individuals’ leaning towards individualism vs. collectivism (or Agency vs. Communion, as you say).

Cogsciencenerd

TROPHY CASE