Autism and ADHD are considered neurodevelopmental disorders, meaning they both affect the development of the nervous system and brain. ADHD and autism are distinct diagnoses that share some features, but each has distinct traits. Both autistic individuals and ADHDers are considered neurodivergent. This is a non-medical umbrella term for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities. It’s used to describe individuals whose brains work differently than what is expected for their age group.

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ADHD and autism can look similar. While the two conditions do share many traits and commonly co-occur, they are differentiated by a number of distinct features. Understanding these differences can equip neurodivergent people with more language to describe their experiences, helping them access resources, diagnoses and tailored support. This knowledge can also empower educators, employers, healthcare providers and other community members to introduce more supportive and inclusive practices for neurodivergent individuals.

Stimming, shorthand for self-stimulatory behavior, is a set of self-regulating behaviors commonly associated with autism spectrum disorder. Stimming can involve a wide variety of behaviors that stimulate one’s own senses, such as moving the body, playing with objects, or making vocalizations. Stimming, like many autistic behaviors, has been stigmatized, and often regarded as a symptom to be reduced by treatment. However, stimming is a normal, often harmless reality of autistic life, one that helps us regulate our senses and engage with the world more authentically.

“Meltdown” is not a term often associated with adult life, but for many autistic adults, meltdowns are a reality. For us, meltdowns are not what you might picture at first: an inconsolable child, acting out over not getting what they want; they’re more like the release valve on a neurobiological pressure cooker.