Co-occurring Conditions
Autism rarely
travels alone.
ADHD. PDA. Alexithymia. Most autistic adults have at least one co-occurring condition — often undiagnosed. Understanding the overlap is one of the most clarifying things you can do.
The conditions that often come with autism
The image of autism as a standalone, clearly bounded condition doesn't match the lived experience of most autistic adults. ADHD co-occurs at high rates. PDA describes an autistic profile that behaves very differently under demand. Alexithymia — difficulty identifying emotions — affects around half of autistic people. These aren't separate things to manage; they're part of the same picture.
The articles here are for people trying to understand the full shape of their neurology — not to acquire more labels, but to finally have accurate language for experiences that never fit the standard descriptions. Understanding that what looks like ADHD, or emotional dysregulation, might be part of your autistic neurology can change which support actually helps.
ADHD & autism
ADHD burnout vs autistic burnout
Two conditions that can look similar and interact closely — what makes each distinct and what happens when you have both.
Stimming in ADHD vs autism
How stimming shows up differently across the two conditions — and what that tells us about why we do it.
Read → RelationshipsLoving someone with autism and ADHD
What relationships look like when one or both partners are navigating the overlap of autism and ADHD.
Read →Other co-occurring conditions
PDA in autistic adults
Pathological demand avoidance — or pervasive drive for autonomy. What it is, how it presents, and why it's often missed.
Read → Common, unnamedWhat is alexithymia?
The difficulty naming your own emotions — why it affects so many autistic adults and what it means for your life.
Read → Less discussedSelective mutism in autistic adults
The loss of speech under high stress — more common than acknowledged, and often misread as stubbornness or withdrawal.
Read →Getting answers
DSM-5 autism criteria explained
What the formal diagnostic criteria for autism actually say — in plain language, for adults trying to understand their diagnosis.
Read → PracticalAutism assessments for adults
What to expect from an adult autism assessment — the process, the tools used, and how to prepare.
Read → After diagnosisAutism treatment for adults
What support options actually exist for autistic adults — and how to navigate a system often designed for children.
Read →Your questions answered
Can you be autistic and have ADHD at the same time?
Yes, and it's common. Research suggests up to 70% of autistic people also meet criteria for ADHD. The two conditions share genetic factors, affect overlapping brain systems, and interact in ways that can amplify the difficulties of each. For a long time, diagnostic frameworks didn't allow dual diagnosis — which means many adults were diagnosed with one but missed for the other.
What is PDA in autism?
PDA stands for pathological demand avoidance — though many in the community prefer pervasive drive for autonomy. It describes an autistic profile characterised by extreme resistance to everyday demands, driven by high anxiety, a strong need for control, and a nervous system that experiences external expectation as threat. It's not wilfulness or defiance; it's a different relationship with autonomy.
What is alexithymia?
Alexithymia is difficulty identifying, labelling, and describing your own emotional states. It affects approximately 50% of autistic people. People with alexithymia aren't emotionless — they often have intense feelings — but the connection between having a feeling and being able to name it is less direct. This has significant implications for mental health, relationships, and how therapy works.
What's the difference between autistic burnout and ADHD burnout?
There's significant overlap but meaningful differences. ADHD burnout tends to be linked to sustained effort at tasks that require executive function the ADHD brain finds difficult. Autistic burnout is more specifically tied to masking, sensory overload, and the gap between autistic need and neurotypical expectation. Many people experience both simultaneously, which can make recovery more complex.
What is rejection sensitive dysphoria?
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is the intense, often overwhelming emotional response to perceived or actual rejection or criticism. Widely discussed in ADHD contexts, it's also relevant for many autistic people. The response is disproportionate by neurotypical standards but is a genuine neurological pattern — not a character flaw or emotional immaturity.
If the full picture has always felt out of reach
The Unmasking Years
Written for late-diagnosed autistic adults making sense of a complex neurology — because the more you understand how your brain works, the more you can actually work with it.
Read The Unmasking Years →