autism Archives - Sharyn Morrow, CPACC

Published 2025/09/09

Inaugural AuDHD Day, September 9th

What is AuDHD?

AuDHD is a term used by people who are both autistic and have ADHD.
It’s not yet a formal diagnosis in medical systems, but many people recognise the crossover in their lived experience. They might be diagnosed separately with autism and ADHD, or just feel that both neurotypes describe their reality. The term gives language to something that otherwise gets missed, mislabelled, or misunderstood. Because being both autistic and ADHD often means living with a complex, beautiful mix of traits that don’t always fit existing boxes.

While ADHD and autism are distinct conditions, they commonly co-occur. It’s believed that 50-70% of autistic people also have ADHD.

It was only in 2019 that the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) recognised that a person could have both ADHD and autism.

— From AuDHD.com

My personal path

I have a formal diagnosis of Autism Level 1 with Severe ADHD. I received my diagnosis at the age of 50. That makes me one of the many folks now identifying with AuDHD, thanks to increased awareness, improved diagnostic methods, and broadened definition of the conditions.

Twice exceptional (exceptional ability + disability)

Early on, I was identified as having unique needs. But I was identified as a gifted child rather than an autistic one, or one with ADHD. I received no supports — other than being taken on cool field trips once in a while. Some classmates, almost always boys, were frequently reprimanded for their short attention spans and frequent outbursts. In grade school, one kid flipped over his desk over more than once. That behavior alarmed me and I associated it with my limited understanding of ADHD at the time.

I internalized my emotions and neurodivergent traits and became highly anxious. Teachers scolded me for daydreaming, but I usually had the correct response when called upon. I could come up with answers intuitively, without showing my work. And would have to reverse engineer to illustrate how one would reach a certain solution, even when the solutions themselves came to me effortlessly. Later the dreaded phrase “high potential, underachiever” would appear on my report cards. Without taking into account any other support needs I might have, or what was going on at home.

Why has there been an increase in diagnosis of adults?

People go undiagnosed for all manner of reasons. The stereotype of autism as a male condition (the diagnosis was 4x more common in males than females) is one factor. Teachers might notice the boy who constantly walks the playground perimeter while the rest play football, but overlook the girl who copies everything about a school friend in an effort to fit in. Such masking occurs in all genders and is damaging in itself.

—The Guardian

Before 2013, when the DSM-5 was released, ADHD and autism were officially mutually exclusive. If you had one, you could not be diagnosed with the other. Since then there have been:

Changes in diagnostic criteria
A closer look at symptom overlap and misdiagnosis
Studies showing genetic and neurobiological factors

The Zebra Analogy

I’ve had people question my decision to pursue a diagnosis. Asking “why bother? You’ve made it this far in life.”

“Why do you need a label?” Because there is comfort in knowing that you are a normal zebra, not a strange horse. Because you can’t find a community of other zebras, can’t learn what makes a zebra thrive, what brings [you] a zebra joy, if you don’t know you are a zebra and you are learning solely from horses. It is near impossible to be happy and mentally healthy if you’re spending all your life thinking you’re a failed horse, having others tell you you are a failed horse, when all along you could be thriving and understood if everyone, including you, just knew you were a zebra.

— ADHD UK’s Zebra Analogy

Diagnosis (formal or self-diagnosis) is a framework for self-compassion, advocacy, and empowerment. Don’t let others delegitimize your concerns.

Life with AuDHD

I lived too much of my life without understanding what made me different. Raising my now-adult son, who is autistic, helped me find my way. But it’s only been the last 10+ years that I really started getting to the bottom of it. Before that, I was a solo parent with three jobs and very little bandwidth for much else. I was frequently overwhelmed and exhausted. Pursuing a formal diagnosis is a privilege I do not take lightly. But there are so many resources available now; self-diagnosis is valid. If you’re spending a lot of time reading about autism or ADHD, or joining us over at Neurodivergent TikTok or instagram, etc. wondering if you are one of us, you most likely are. I doubt neurotypical people spend much time wondering if they are neurodivergent or not. But what do I know, I am neurodivergent!

I appreciate the studiesshowthings instagram account. It’s a married couple with one neurotypical partner and one AuDHD partner. Their reel today was particularly relevant to me:

People who are autistic and ADHD (50% of people with ADHD are also autistic) – the AuDHD brain wakes up in a fist fight every day because the ADHD brain craves novelty. And the autistic brain craves consistency. The autistic neurotype wants things to be predictable and certain. The ADHD neurotype wants things to be novel and interesting at all times. You can see how this can create a problem. A thousand things a day trigger the fight or flight response. It’s easy for the AuDHD neurotype to feel overwhelmed.

— studiesshowthings

Avoiding Overhwelm

The beginning of the pandemic was life-changing for me. I mourned those whose lives were lost or negatively impacted, but I found lockdown to be a reprieve. I have been a full-time tech worker since I was 18 years old and didn’t realize how burned out I was. And everything changed. Working from home full-time has been miraculous for my neurotype. I learned three critical things:

Understanding my neurotype / self-knowledge
- Identifying needs and triggers
- Knowing my strengths and challenges
Clear communication
- Using direct, clear language
- Preparing for important conversations in advance
- Saying no
Energy management
- Take breaks
- Have self-compassion
- Foster a support network
  - A trusted therapist
  - Friends and family who are also neurodivergent
  - Neurodivergent slack and social media communities

These things have helped me advocate for myself and set healthy boundaries to prevent overwhelm.

Disability Pride Month 2025

Despite the grim state of things in the US, it is still Disability Pride Month. And I have multiple non-apparent disabilities: Endometriosis, migraines, occipital neuralgia, misophonia, autism + ADHD (sometimes shortened to AuDHD). One aspect that is less commonly discussed is proprioception.

Proprioception

My understanding of proprioception began when my son was diagnosed with autism. It is one of many factors that motivated me to pursue an autism assessment for myself. Proprioception, often referred to as the body’s “sixth sense,” is awareness of one’s body position and movement in space. It encompasses sensations such as muscle contraction and stretching, as well as deep pressure or squeezing.

My son tends to be under-responsive to proprioceptive stimuli, while I experience hypersensitivity:
“Individuals who are oversensitive to proprioception may have difficulty comprehending where their body is relative to other objects.”

After I went to the gym last night, I fumbled my giant container of protein shake powder and spilled it all over the floor. This morning I knocked my coffee mug over. I often find my phone and other objects slipping from my hands. This clumsiness can be a nuisance. But I’ve also dropped vital prescription medication while trying to take it and even fumbled entire bottles of prescription meds.

Other aspects of hypersensitivity can be more difficult

Increased pain perception. While some autistic people may exhibit a higher tolerance for certain types of pain, many experience heightened pain sensitivity and may feel pain more intensely than others. This can manifest as a lower pain threshold or a prolonged experience of pain, even from stimuli that might others might find tolerable.
Heightened tactile sensitivity. Autistic people may experience heightened sensitivity to touch, pressure, and movement. This can lead to increased awareness of physical contact and, in some cases, discomfort or pain from specific textures of clothing or being jostled in crowds. Crowds are particularly tough for me due to my height (barely five feet tall).
Increased sensitivity to certain sounds. Sounds might seem louder to an autistic person, which might make them react to sounds more strongly. This is where my misophonia comes into play, personally.

Working with my neurologist, a physical therapist, and a personal trainer have helped manage these sensitivities to some extent but not everyone has access to these resources. Family members, friends, coworkers, and classmates have teased me about my clumsiness. I encourage others to consider the impact before commenting on someone else’s clumsiness or sensitivities.

A black and white mug sitting on a table with a black and white fabric tablecloth. A large amount of the coffee in the mug has been spilled onto the tablecloth.

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Published 2024/06/10

X marks the spot

In 2018, Minnesota became the sixth state in the US to permit nonbinary designations on state ID. Early in 2020, I realized my drivers license would be up for renewal and looked forward to changing my gender marker. Then COVID hit.

In June 2020, I had the option to renew my DL online, as it was. Or go in person to make any changes. At the time, we were still a year away from a COVID vaccine so I chose the physically safer option. But today, the wait was over. I was able to quickly change my gender designation to nonbinary. And update my photograph (my hair color and eyeglasses have changed 5 or 6 times in the last 8 years).

Since my last drivers license renewal, I’ve also been formally diagnosed with Autism and ADHD.

Studies suggest that individuals with gender and sexual identities outside the cis-hetero binary were also three to six times more likely to have a diagnosis of autism.
The Swaddle: The Link Between Neurodivergence and Queerness, Explained

This all serves to help me understand myself and feel more confident in myself. Happy Pride, all!

Person holding a nonbinary flag over the head with stripes in yellow, white, purple, and black

Autism Awareness Month

This is my first April celebrating Autism Awareness / Acceptance month since I was formally diagnosed with autism myself. I believe self-diagnosis is perfectly valid, but I wanted to learn more. Not just for myself, but for my community. Last year I worked with an incredible neurodiversity affirming clinician. She was excited to dive in and learn about my wiring. She helped me understand more about how my neurocomplexity impacts my personal and professional life. In my professional life, in the accessibility space, I continue to encourage others to learn more about neurodivergence. And provide guidance about how to support neurodiversity in the workplace.

Two main tips:

Communicate as clearly as possible. Ellie Middleton posted a wonderful video on how to give neurodivergent friendly instructions. It’s short and simple! Please watch it.
Be accepting of autistic (or other) behaviors that might deviate from the norm. Personally, I used to expend SO much energy attempting to mask to fit in while in shared office spaces. Working remotely has allowed me to channel that energy to focus on the work itself. But not everyone is so lucky. To learn more about masking, check out autistic reporter Eric Garcia’s great interview with autistic social psychologist Devon Price, PhD. The timing worked out perfectly. I ordered a copy of Devon’s book, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity, and it arrived just now, on World Autism Day.

I’ve been working in tech for 30+ years at this point. But many autistic people experience high rates of unemployment and underemployment compared to adults with other disabilities and adults in the general population. This needs to change. Sustainable progress will require a real, measurable commitment to neuroinclusion. Which includes working with autistic and other neurodivergent people to foster lasting change.

A book resting on a yellow chair. The cover reads Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity, Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, PhD, author of Laziness Does Not Exist

Category: autism