Autism and ADHD are neurodevelopmental disorders that are separate conditions yet share some of the same symptoms. These symptoms can be difficult to discern when they take place in a young child. Oftentimes it will reveal itself when a child is at play or doing their homework.
Although autism and ADHD can share some similar symptoms. We need to take a closer look into each condition and compare the features to find a possible relationship.
Autism
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact in a socially recognizable manner. Meaning that an autistic child may not use gestures to communicate, struggle with eye contact and fixate on one topic of interest for conversation. An autistic child will struggle with their emotions and understand how to socially interact with other children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), claims that 1 in 59 children in the US. have been diagnosed within the autism spectrum disorder.
According to The American Autism Association, autism will appear in most cases prior to 3 years of age and is 5 times more likely in boys than girls.
ADHD
There are three subtypes of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), that a doctor can diagnose based on the specific symptoms a person demonstrates.
The ADHD subtypes are:
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inattentive
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hyperactive-impulsive
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combined
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes a person to have difficulty with paying attention, hyperactivity and impulse control. Children will demonstrate difficulty with sitting still, focusing on a particular task or thinking before they speak at home or in school.
The ADHD conditions can improve with age and can sometimes lead to better focus and concentration with less impulsivity.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) reports that ADHD affects approximately 8.4% of children and 2.5% of adults with more diagnosis in males than females.
Autism vs ADHD Differences
Being able to distinguish a difference in autism and ADHD in a young child is sometimes not apparent.
In the area of attention:
An ADHD child could struggle with holding their focus on a single topic for long without being distracted easily. This will usually be more noticeable when they are working on a homework assignment.
An autistic child will have great focus on only a few specific topics and won’t show any interest in other subjects. Their favorite interests are where they spend their time talking and thinking about.
Autistic children will have a limited amount of interests and will obsess over them. They have an unusual ability to remember facts and details on those areas of interest and can show excellence in math, science, art and music.
In the area of communication:
Autistic and ADHD children will typically present symptoms in different and unique ways when it comes to communication. But, it’s in this area that the autistic child will characteristically demonstrate more behavioral problems.
Autistic children could:
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struggle with direct eye contact
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showing and dealing with their emotions
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demonstrate a narrow scope of interests which they will obsess over in conversation
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won’t use gestures to express themselves
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less likely to respond or initiate when in a group
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won’t understand certain ways of playing like, taking turns
ADHD children could:
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interrupt others while speaking
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talk continually and be disruptive during playtime or classroom
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demonstrate less empathy with their word choices
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shout over others and want to have the last word
The role of structure and routine for an autistic or ADHD child.
An ADHD child will show difficulty in keeping their focus on a topic of uninterest for very long without having any distractions. They typically become bored very easily when there is a lack of variety of activities.
It is helpful for an ADHD child to have someone deflecting their attention back to the task at hand. Formulating a structured grid of planned activities that all have time limits, charts and diagrams are helpful. Structured daytime events in and out of school are good practices to follow for an ADHD child.
An autistic child, in contrast will naturally adhere to a strict way of doing things. From their eating habits to their reading and topics of interests will all contain a high degree of sameness with a strict adherence to a set of ritualistic behavior patterns. Any deviation from their routine can be a cause for discomfort, stress and irritability for an autistic child.
Health professionals agree there may be some overlapping of symptoms of autism and ADHD in a child. Most doctors recognize that some children will meet both criteria. Siting genetic factors, as playing a role.
Some research shows that 15-25% of US children with ADHD are on the autism spectrum as well. The CDC estimates 14%.
Treatment
Treatment can start with education and training for the parents and caregivers to best manage the symptoms of their children. Adopting new approaches to dietary habits, scheduling and one on one instruction with a qualified professional should always be part of an overall strategy.
For a young ADHD or autistic child treatment options will be determined by how the symptoms are presented in each child.
Some of the most common treatment options for both ADHD and autism include:
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medication
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behavioral therapy
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neurofeedback therapy
Other forms of therapy for an autistic child will depend on their personal needs can include:
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speech therapy
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sensory integration
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neurofeedback therapy
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occupational therapy
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educational based therapy groups
ADHD and autism are neurodevelopmental disorders that can affect behavior in children from an early age. Parents should be hyper observant of their children and report to a doctor anything that they may feel is not normal age appropriate behavior.
Treatment for these conditions should always be personalized for each child. They could include a combination of medications, therapies and diet.
There are many good support programs, educational, behavioral and neurofeedback therapies along with other resources to help parents and caregivers find the best way of managing an autistic or ADHD diagnosed child.
-A Balanced Brain is a Better Brain-