Autism & ADHD: When It's Both

Autism & ADHD: When It's Both

From Voices of Compassion by CHC

May 6, 2026 · 35 min · Season 6 · Episode 18

About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities of diagnosing and understanding the overlap between ADHD and autism in children.

Today we’re talking about something that can be really confusing for parents: what it looks like when a child has both ADHD and autism. A lot of families notice that something is going on, but it’s not just one thing. Maybe their child is constantly in motion, struggles with focus, has big emotional reactions, or seems overwhelmed by things other kids handle more easily. Maybe social situations are hard, routines are hard, school is hard — but not in a way that’s easy to explain. And for many parents, that leads to a lot of second-guessing: Is this ADHD? Is it autism? Is it anxiety? Is this just a phase? Am I overthinking it? So today, I’m joined by CHC expert, Melanie Hsu, PhD to help us better understand what happens when ADHD and autism overlap, how that can show up in everyday life, and what parents need to know if they’re trying to make sense of their child’s behavior and needs. Resources: CHC Online CHC’s Catherine T. Harvey Center for Clinical Services CHC's Resource Library Learn more about Ellis Sign up for our Virtual Village email list to receive our latest episodes and recent CHC updates. Visit Voices of Compassion online for full show notes including additional…

People in this episode

Guest: Melanie Hsu, PhD

Topics covered

  • ADHD
  • autism
  • parenting
  • child behavior
  • mental health

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • autism
  • children
  • parenting
  • mental health
  • behavior
  • diagnosis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CHC

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