ASD-related attention difficulties? (NOT necessarily ADHD)

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If I suddenly get busy on the computer, my short term memory goes out the window. I forget a cup of coffee warming up in the microwave, or leave a stoveplate on. I can hyper focus and even multi task but only on certain things. Thus, my coffee sometimes boils over even though I put it in about a minute ago, I've drifted to the next thing.

Well, I've never babysat a child before so I don't really know. I am not the sort to hyperfocus on something so intensely that I become unaware of what is going on around me. I can keep track of conversations whilst writing, unless one person is talking directly at me, but that's normal for everyone because when someone is talking directly to you it's hard not to look up and make eye contact, otherwise I'll feel rude. But I can go back to what I was writing after they're done speaking.

But not all NTs are experts at multitasking either. If my boyfriend fills the kitchen sink up with water to do the dishes and he goes out of the room, I gaurentee you he will forget about the sink filling up and it'd start to overflow. That's happened a few times with him.

But I do get easily distracted, very easily distracted. I could be doing one task, then get distracted by something else and start doing that and procrastinate the other task. But I know to go back to it.

Some Aspies say they get so hyperfocused on something that they forget to eat or go to the bathroom even. I've never got like that before, even as a small child.

I have ADD so I get forgetful and forget tasks and I can't remember to do things unless reminded. This is a problem at work. I also get very irritable when I am interrupted and expected to shift tasks when I find something unimportant. I was diagnosed with attentive ADD when I was 10 after it had been suspected by all doctors I had since I was 5 or 7 years old. I even have a short attention span and can't listen to lectures. I couldn't even work in noisy environments when I was a kid. I don't take any medication because when I was on it, it didn't work. Plus I also have anxiety so pills with my ADD medicine gave me seizures.

I put 2 and 3 because I definitely can't focus when there is sensory stuff going on, but my biggest issue is that I hyperfocus and am so far inside my own head that I don't pay attention to what is happening externally.

I can't do unfocused chit chat at all, but I feel like that's more about my lack of interest in insincere gossip and my inability to verbally respond fast enough.

I ticked no. 3, as that seems to be my main issue. That and 'zoning out' - losing concentration because I'm lost in thought.
Occasionally I can't concentrate on anything (no. 1) but usually there's a physical reason, maybe lack of sleep or being too keyed up about something.

I am able to be extremely focused as long as the environment is distraction free.
I do not filter in terms of sound, and like many people with ASD. We focus on one and one task at a time.
Even if that task involves a complex algorithm of tasks in a strict order.

I am also able to focus for hours on end, with little need for breaking.
I like to work until completion and in fact, get upset if i am unable to finish the task at hand.

My attention difficulties are partly due to sensory impairment (hypersensitivity to sound, hearing sounds in an amplified manner, not being able to filter out and focus on one source, being hypersensitive to some frequencies).

My other attention difficulties are due to having a very fast but tangential mind. This again is due to the dysfunctional neurological networks that are created during development. With the networks being connected differently to those in people who are neural normal, and not having much development in parts of the brain that neural typical people take for granted. results in communication being less predicable than in neural typical people.

Which often results in problems with communication, this is to some extend the nature of the disorder we suffer from.
Not so sure if it is that much like ADHD, although not sure what either look under the neurologists microscope or fMRI scanner...

i don't jump on tables, or shout inappropriate things on a hyper trip etc.. which i think is the kind of behaviour that is associated with untreated ADHD. No offence to anyone with ADHD, Not judging. Please correct me if what i have written about ADHD is wrong if you have ADHD. Thanks

Yes.


I can't really handle conversations.

I was diagnosed with ADD 30 years ago before aspergers was even a diagnosis. I've only just got an ASD diagnosis and I can't for the life of me separate the attention problems between either diagnosis.

I'm worn down by multitasking and making decisions. I plan my work carefully so I'm only ever doing one thing a a time, otherwise I get very stressed.