Difference between autism/Asperger's and ADHD/ADD?

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I am trying to figure out why the two seem to have such similar symptoms. Both have problems with attention and distractibility, can hyperfocus on a subject of interest, can have social problems, work better with routines and rigid structure etc. I've even read somewhere that ADHD can be linked to hypersensitivity. So I am trying to figure out why they are so similar. I was diagnosed with ADD but I don't think it's correct, or at the very least it is secondary to Asperger's (I'm not diagnosed yet but I am fairly certain I have it). But sometimes I wonder if the first diagnosis was correct, and my ADD is just severe enough that it looks similar to Asperger's.

If I had to guess, I would say the difference is not going to be found in the symptoms themselves, but the underlying reasons for the symptoms. Like for example, maybe someone with ADHD doesn't pay attention because their mind is going so fast it jumps all over, whereas with autism it is almost like seeing everything at once and it's too much to handle to try to focus in on one thing unless it is a special interest.

I don't usually feel like my mind is going too fast, which is what I read having ADD feels like. A lot of times I actually feel like it is going too slowly. Especially when I'm talking to others, my mind either grinds to a halt for a few seconds before I can continue, or I just spout everything before having a chance to think about it because I am trying to avoid this awkward silence.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what the fundamental difference between the two is?

Sounds to me that you're more likely to have Aspergers than ADHD. The similarity between the two is that they are both brain conditions and that there are genetic factors involved, meaning that siblings in the same family could have either condition. The main difference to me is that in Aspergers the cabling in the brain which communicates between the different regions of the brain is faulty (? sorry can't think of a more appropriate word for the moment). In NT's all the different parts of the brain are working simultaneously, so for instance in a room crowded with people, NT's pick up facial expressions within the room, pick up conversation from different angles of the room, pick up on jokes straight away, have more animated expressions in conversation, talk more confidently, have better posture and don't look clumsy (lots of generalizations here). The price NT's pay for all this is that they tend not to question so much, don't take the time to analyse and make broad assumptions of the world including what is good or bad and don't change their opinions very much once they make up their minds. Aspies tend to reduce the complexities of the world down to simple reoccurring themes or patterns to solve problems and tend not to listen to what people say unless the subject matter is of interest to them (again being a bit general here). When a subject is of interest to an Aspie, we tend to work harder and longer than a NT person to master it. From my own experience, my brain works slower than a normal person but I tend to be more methodical, working on a problem till I solve it. People tend to think I'm a bit "thick" because I don't respond immediately, or don't pick up on things people say. I tend though to read books very fast, but when I put the book down, I am still absorbing the contents of the book and don't like like talking about the book until I had at least a few days to digest it. With films it's a bit different. I pick up on things in the movie that other people miss because I concentrate a bit harder (the theatre is the best place for an Aspie to watch a movie because there are no distractions). With ADHD my understanding is that the person is over active being unable to control and constantly moving around and can't stay still. Very different to me than Aspergers.

ADHD and Asperger's do have a lot of similar and/or overlapping traits and symptoms. But if you look at the actual diagnostic criteria for each disorder, it's very different. Asperger's is diagnosed on the basis of having social impairments and repetitive behaviors. ADHD is diagnosed on the basis of having symptoms of inattention and impulsivity.

The hallmarks of ADHD are impulsivity and low inhibition. People with ADHD can be very social, but have poor social judgment, and poor judgment in general. A lot of people suspect they have ADHD - or may even be misdiagnosed with it - on the basis of having attention problems, but it's much more than that. ADHD means you probably have a persistent pattern of doing "stupid" things...making hasty decisions that you didn't fully think through...forgetting things that are really important...blurting things out that you wish you hadn't said...spending too much money...etc. You live in the moment and you find it difficult to think about the future consequences of your actions or restrain yourself from doing things that pop in your head.

ADHD is essentially a disinibition disorder. The attention problems, difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, and other symptoms stem from having low inhibition.

The ADHD brain is a "sleepy" brain. (see this link: http://www.drross.org/149311) When the brain isn't as alert as it needs to be, it is less able prioritize information and make decisions. That leads to lower inhibition and poor executive function. That's why stimulants work for people with ADHD.

Some people with ADHD may feel like their brain is going really fast, but what's actually happening is their brain just isn't filtering information very well. It's like a huge intersection with no one there to direct traffic. Sometimes the cars make it through the intersection really fast, sometimes they get jammed up and move more slowly, and sometimes they just pile up and crash. Having your mind suddenly grind to a halt is common in ADHD.

In autism, attention is more monotropic in nature. It's not a huge intersection with cars going every which way in a free for all. It's all the cars from the huge intersection being funneled down a one way street.

ADHD and autism share some of the same genetic factors. It's common to have both disorders running in the same family. It's very common for people with ADHD to have subclinical autistic traits, and vice versa. And it's not unusual for a person to have both.

Asperger's is especially prone to having comorbid ADHD. I've seen the rate of comorbidity estimated as high as 80%. It's more likely for a person with Asperger's to have ADHD, than the other way around. The same is true of bipolar and Tourette's...it's common for people with either of those to have comorbid ADHD. But it isn't any more likely for a person with ADHD to have bipolar disorder, or Tourette's or Asperger's.

ADHD tends to tag along with other disorders. It's unusual to have standalone ADHD (and I think that's why it can be difficult to define exactly what "pure" ADHD is, or what it looks like). What I'm getting at, is if you do indeed have ADHD, it is most likely comorbid to something else.

And keep in mind that ADHD is a developmental delay that some people actually do grow out of. ADHD symptoms can be more prominent when you are younger, and then as you get older they fade out somewhat and another disorder can emerge and become more apparent.

I just want to say thank you dianthus. You helped me with seeing somethings clearer with that post.

My understanding used to be that AD(H)D and Aspergers are close together on the autistic spectrum, and that therefore it is quite likely that it will not always be easy (or necessary) to distinguish between the two.

But we are now told that Aspergers Syndrome is no longer universally recognised as a specific ASD, and references on this forum to AD(H)D are relatively few.

I remain content with my 10-year-old self-diagnosis of combined AD(H)D and Aspergers Syndrome - it made perfect sense at the time, but I no longer know which particular ASD is said to include the symptoms of hand-flapping and face-blindness (to name but two).

Among other things, I have been diagnosed with Asperger's, ADHD, and Tourette's.

I think the difference between Asperger's and ADHD is what dianthus said: mainly, "brain racing", impulsivity and inattentiveness----except for, of course, hyper-focus on things that are of interest to us. I believe my ADHD is what makes me somewhat different from some other Aspies, in that I have very little problem being sociable.