Aspergers vs. ADD, I can't tell.

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I live with both on a daily basis (I have severe HFA with no ADHD, my niece who lives with me has severe ADHD with no ASD.) I know from experience that they do not overlap and that she and I are very different. There are some symptoms that do appear similar on the SURFACE though, but are very different when you look at the causes. For the record, my niece and I do not have the same characteristics, but I can see how some people who only know the basics see similarities between SOME of the symptoms of ADHD and AS (without scratching the surface to see these symptoms in depth.)

And for the record: I know there is some discussion about whether or not to consider ADHD as part of the autistic spectrum. I think even the psychologists considering this are making a big mistake. While there might be some differences in a person with Aspergers and a person with classic autism, the differences are not really that noteable. The roots of the symptoms are all the same, people just experience them at different severity levels regardless of their ASD label. ADHD is not autistic-like. It is not NT, that is for sure, but it still, IMO, should not be grouped with autism. Having a lot of ADHD family members, and a couple possible autistic family members (plus me who is the only one officially diagnosed with it), there is DEFINITELY a large difference between the two. There is a mild or moderate ADHD in my family, and a few members with severe ADHD. None of them resemble at all the autistic spectrum disorders.

I have ADHD and AS family members too. I do seem to have some of both, and I am waiting for further assessment for the AS side. I know the screening tests are not the be all and end all, but mine was quite different to a number of others done by ADHD people.

I think the fact that both run in the same family is very typical in my experience suggests that although different in many ways they are likely linked.

I don't know if I have both or not, I joined here to explore the possibility further. I do think, from what I have read so far, that I could be AS.

Okay, I was annoyed with your original broad statement, but now I can see better where you are coming from. Therefore, I'll just offer my own slant on the subject instead of focusing on refutation.

I tend to prefer focusing on the absolute physiology of the brain, both at the macroscopic and molecular levels. I see genes such as say the taql allele for the D2 receptors as important etiological factors, but it is more important from my point of view to understand what exactly they do.

Now, when I talk about autism or Tourette Syndrome, I talk with the understanding that we are grouping people together based on superficially observable symptoms. Consequentially, it would be tenable for a form of Tourette Syndrome to have a closer etiological relationship with autism or for a form of autism to be more etiologically related to a form of bipolar disorder. This does not necessarily have to be the case, but I am just pointing out the fact that the disorder and the underlying causes behind it are somewhat different things, and this is important for communicating some of my views on this subject.

I also think that you can have the gene that could cause a certain disorder and have it remain altogether latent. For example, a person who has the short gene for the serotonin transporter might also have a high level of post-synaptic serotonin uptake, or his or her cholinergic system might help to compensate for the rampant overcoding of this transporter gene.

Well, what if your post-synaptic dopamine uptake, at certain sites, is a bit higher than normal? Well, that doesn't necessarily have to result in a disorder. However, if you were to combine this with unusually high levels of dopamine betahydroxylase, thereby higher catecholamine levels in general, you might start to see some issues cropping up. If you start throwing crazy things like a turbo-charged glutamatergic system into the mix, you're just asking for trouble.

And the thing is, these various factors are all contributors to the health of different parts of the brain. People suffering from both autism and clinical depression tend to suffer from poor development in the hippocampus, for example, and this ties in with a lot of the symptoms related to these disorders. However, autism and clinical depression are altogether different, aren't they? Of course, but only because there are other systems in the brain that are affected in these disorders, the hippocampus being one of several.

One major source of trouble is an underdeveloped myelin sheath around certain axons. These axons will still transmit their signals but in a sloppy, chaotic manner akin to an exposed circuit.

Therefore, when you take in the underlying physiology behind these disorders, it's easy to see why it would be difficult to disentangle them from each other. Because the same parts of the brain are often being affected in similar ways, sometimes the symptoms of one disorder might mimic another so successfully that the real underlying disorder may remain undiscovered as a result. A person suffering from a form of Tourette Syndrome that superficially mimics bipolar disorder might spend years taking drugs targeted at treating a mental illness that he or she does not actually have in its true form. The real answer seems to be, to put it simply, "it's complicated."

I have ADHD as well as High Functioning Autism and severe Anxiety. I find this a bit offensive because my parents TRIED to discpline me for behaviors I did due to ADHD or Autism as well but it didn't do any good. Some people actually do have ADHD and its very hard for them to function well without help.

I am on medication now and it does manage some things but not all of what I go through.

Wrong.



Wrong.



WRONG. For christ's sake, this garbage is spread around too much as it is. Please talk to someone who actually has ADHD/ADD before mouthing off about it.



...correct

To the OP - it's possible you have both, but nothing that I read particularly suggested AS (AS isn't a personality type - a.k.a. shyness). If you enjoy being alone more than socializing, and that's all there is to it, it's possible you're just an introverted person (or perhaps if it's quite severe you could have some sort of social anxiety disorder). If you find being around people exhausting, due to having to either maintain an elaborate and complicated social facade, or your real self inadvertently offends people/causes people to bully you because you can't read social cues or provide correct social responses, then this is a lot more telling. Could you provide some more information?

I too believe i have an ASD but feel the above may be more fitting of my problems too.

Good post

I used to think what I have is add and I still have a lot of the symtems of add.

This is a artical I read that talks about how aspergers is similar and different from add.

http://www.yourlittleprofessor.com/adhd.html

I have both Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD.

I wouldn't say that exactly. My family thought I had Autism for years up until recently I was diagnosed with ADHD, but still family kept saying Autism. I asked the psych and he explained that alot of the symptomes in both ADHD and Autism or AS overlap. They are not entirely different things but the one main distinguishiing feature is that people with ADHD can read people, can understand them where as alot of people with AS or Autism cannot! So yes, they are different on one very particular way, but the rest is very, very similar!

People with ADHD dont just have problems paying attention. They can 'hyperfocus' much like people with Autism or AS can do with specific interests. I also walked on my tiptoes for many years and have pretty severely damaged feet because of it. I was told that it is because I hav SPD too which can come along with ADHD and Autism or AS too, this is also where things overlap again. Certain noises, certain lights, too many people and I will try and get away from t all as quick as my legs will go.

Us ADHDers can also have problems with routines and changes, obssessions and impulses aswel as the things I mention above which are only the tip of the iceberg as I'm sure you are aware. In some people with ADHD some of these things aren't an issue, and with some of us they are and it confuses those around you. Of course you can also get AS with ADHD too, just as you can with things like TS. Lots of my impulses and obssessions are very much like TS and or OCD in alot of ways too.

It's all so very confusing isn't it, but they way I was told recently was that to tell ADHD from Autism or AS is the being able to read other people or not. Hope this helps.

Me too.

as a parent to a young child(he is 6) I have always felt in my gut that ADHD is usualy a symptom of something else going on and not necessarily a condition all on its own.

I truly feel if you do some searching and go with your gut feeling on what you truly have you will come to the conclusion on your own. And honestly, if you are ok with who you are and you can function in life I see no reason to place a label on yourself.
My son has ASD and he is very social, always wanting to be with his friends but it is very awkward and he says the wrong things, does the wrong things. Thankfully he still doesn't notice the reactions of others.

ADD regards to hyoperactive children/adults who find it difficult to concentrate and engage in inappropriate/anti-social behaviour. Naughty children can be wrongly diagnosed with ADD.

Aspergers are Autistics that can talk. Half Autistic and half normal. Autistics generally can not talk and have delays in personal development and possess limited social skills.

I've have heard people use the "half autistic and half normal" description before. I disagree with it. I don't believe a person can be half autistic. They just have milder symptoms. Also, it is not true that all people with classic autism generally can not talk. It is not even true that most people with classic autism do not speak. There are MANY high-functioning people with classic autism. I am one of them. And those of us can be almost indistinguishable as adults from Aspergers in many ways, but do not qualify as Aspergers because of the language delay. There are many of us out there; we are not just a few.