ADHD Hides These 6 Autistic Traits in Plain Sight

About this episode

This episode discusses how ADHD can overshadow autistic traits in AuDHD adults and the implications of diagnostic overshadowing.

If you’ve been told “it’s just ADHD,” there may be autistic traits hiding in plain sight under AuDHD. In this episode, I walk through six ways ADHD can overshadow autism in AuDHD adults, and what that actually feels like in everyday life. Whether you’re a neurodivergent adult or a clinician, we explore how diagnostic overshadowing shows up in real life and why so many AuDHD adults, especially women and marginalized folks, don’t get the full autistic picture until later in life. Read the companion article and resources: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/adhd-hides-autism In this episode, we cover: Why social struggles get read as “just impulsive” or “ADHD social skills issues” instead of autistic communication differences How sensory seeking and sensory overload get filed under ADHD “hyperactivity” instead of autistic sensory processing Executive function differences that go deeper than ADHD alone, especially in AuDHD adults juggling multiple roles Emotional responses to change being misread as “poor frustration tolerance” instead of autistic need for predictability and transition support Special interests being collapsed into “ADHD hyperfocus,” hiding autistic passion, depth…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Megan Anna Neff

Topics covered

• ADHD
• autism
• AuDHD
• diagnostic overshadowing
• neurodivergent experiences
• social struggles
• sensory processing

Keywords

• ADHD
• autism
• AuDHD
• diagnostic overshadowing
• neurodivergent
• social skills
• sensory processing
• emotional responses
• masking
• unmasking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Neurodivergent Insights

More episodes of Neurodivergent Insights with Dr. Megan Anna Neff

• Adult Autism & ADHD Assessments, Demystified (Dr. Megan Anna Neff and Dr. Jess Hogan) · June 12, 2026 · 1h 11m
• AuDHD and OCD: How to Tell What's What · May 30, 2026 · 21 min
• The Real Story Behind Rising Autism Rates · April 17, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Autistic Burnout and the Stress Cycle with Amelia Nagoski · April 3, 2026 · 51 min
• When Autism Hides the ADHD: 6 Ways It Gets Missed · March 22, 2026 · 20 min
• AuDHD Explained: When Autism + ADHD Intersect | Dr. Megan Anna Neff · February 27, 2026 · 8 min