Is ADHD with ASD/NVLD usually a limited form of ADHD?

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In AD there is a problem with attention shifting which can cause “ADHD” problems.
In NVLD there is more talk about problems processing certain kinds of information.

Is “ADHD” in NVLD/ASD individuals “just” this kind of limited (but not less severe) condition?

Is this limited area of problems the reason that ASD/NVLD often excludes an ADHD diagnosis?

If ADHD diagnosis is given in connection with a ASD/NVLD diagnosis,
do they try to see if the ADHD goes beyond these limited problems?

My favorite example is proofreading. It is supposed to be a NVLD/AS/AD strength.
For me, if you are good at that it should not be called ADHD.
Though problems shifting attention should not cause problems for that kind of tasks
(rather the opposite), but it could probably lead to an ADHD diagnosis.

And the overlap numbers between NVLD/ASD and “ADHD” are so huge that it must include people in that category.
(Myself I am very poor at proofreading, and thus my “ADHD” is “broader” in a sense).

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Extra Background

The overlap between NVLD/ASD and is often said to be high, like 40-60%. The research I have seen use expressions like “Satisfies the diagnostic criteria...”.

As far as I can see, there is nothing in the diagnostic criteria that excludes such a “limited ADHD”

Last edited by mrsmith on 28 Nov 2012, 4:05 am, edited 2 times in total.

I am good at proofreading, but being good or bad at proofreading is insufficient evidence to diagnose or rule out ADHD. There is a lot more to my life than proofreading and much of that supports my dual diagnosis of ASD and ADHD.

I know someone recently diagnosed with NVLD, but I think she is also on the spectrum as her social communication issues are very significant. She basically cannot read because her eyes will not stay on the word or the sentence. She can only handle very short bits of written information. I would think proofreading would be a no for her. I am diagnosed with Inattentive ADD but I believe I am also somewhere on the spectrum and my son is diagnosed with Asperger's. For some reason misspellings just jump out at me; I seem to be able to detect a break in a pattern very quickly.

That is a bit different from the kind of proofreading problems I am thinking off.

just lost the urge to read any of this despite the fact that i am good at proof reading.. dont mean im not going to get bored after 3 minutes

Forgot to add that current clinical practice does not preclude ADHD, and for several clinics I've seen that do autism diagnosis, they also screen for ADHD.

The DSM-5 removes the restriction that you can't be diagnosed with ADHD if you are autistic.

I am curious as to why you say that the ability to proofread should mean "not ADHD".

In my case (DX NVLD,) I don't know if I have ADHD or not. I can proofread pretty well. I mean I'm not professional at it, but I can do it reasonably well, better than average. My problem is I don't know how to multitask at all really. I'll spend like 10 hours working on a bicycle in one day, it's pretty much "all or nothing" kinda focus and concentration.

I if you can focus on that kind of tasks, you don't really have typical ADHD.

Also it doesn't make sence to say that some people with As have ADHD and others not, if there is not a big difference between them.

In my case, I have very different problems, and it makes sense to say I have NVLD and ADHD.

The person who diagnosed me actually screens every person who he screens for an ASD for ADHD as well.

I don't have ADHD, but from watching others, I'd not agree with the assessment that the ability to proofread or do those types of task being a meaningful thing or whether its a "limited form" of ADHD.

Not necessarily. I have NVLD, I am a slow reader because of how I "see" everything at once and have trouble getting my eyes to focus on one line (without reading other lines), and I'm a superb proofreader. Like you, mistakes just "jump" out at me, and this is because I "see" everything at once. Now, I have BOTH NVLD and AS, so maybe this is why I excel at proofreading, but NVLD certainly doesn't exclude proofreading skills.

My question is more about aggregates - it doesn't mas sence to say that "60 of people with AS have ADHD" if 40 %points of those actually have "just" a limited form of ADHD, and are quite different from typical ADHD.

I see no reason that an ability to proofread makes it a "limited" form of ADHD.

Because the you don't have a general Attention Deficit problem.

(Again: I am thinking more about aggregated numbers than individuals)

This is me...I'm also diagnosed with all three and mistakes jump out at me and I can be a very good proofreader (although my own work sometimes has mistakes and I'm sometimes too lazy to proofread my own work or get distracted and don't do it). I'm also a slow reader......find it hard not to skip lines and see mistakes easily in the books I read.

I am only saying that if you can pay attention to that kind of task, you don't have general Attention Deficit.
Problesm shifting attention should not make much difference, while it could lead to a ADHD diagnosis.

Typical ADHD should make it difficult, but it doesn't mean problems can't have other reasons.