How you feel about autism (with / without co-occurring ADHD)

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I'm wondering whether and how the presence or absence of co-occurring ADHD affects how we feel about our autism.

I myself do NOT have co-occurring ADHD. If anything, I have what might be called "reverse ADHD," i.e., I have difficulty multi-tasking and shifting my attention, but I do not have difficulty concentrating. I regard my autism as a source of strengths as well as weaknesses.

I put strengths as well as weaknesses, but wanted to clarify I feel the weaknesses are more consequential than the strengths.

I had an ADD diagnosis when I was 13, I only got the ASD diagnosis at age 47. I'm not sure whether the ADD was a misdiagnosis (The label Aspergers or autism spectrum didn't even in exist when I was 13).

I think there is a very big overlap between the two (attention problems, being disorganised). Both can make life very hard, both have some useful qualities.

See also the separate poll/thread Can you pass for NT? (with / without co-occurring ADHD).

This isn't specifically with/without ADHD specifically, but here's what I think:

No comorbidity of any kind is like... A plus and/or minus zero of whatever you're born with, whatever you also grew up with, and how *you* are with.

As an autistic and about autism without any comorbids to speak of:
No ADHD to me means hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, or just the lack of means of intentionality 'can happen'.
No anxiety to me means impending doom, aversions, nervousness, sensory intolerances 'can happen'.
No depression to me means numbness, emptiness, lack of whatever 'can happen'.
No learning disability to me means clumsiness, misreading, mishearing, miscounting, miscommunication, etc... 'Can happen'.
No GDD nor giftedness means both or either being delayed and being advanced 'can happen'.
No sensory and emotional sensitivity/insensitivity/aversion/seeking, to have or have not the means to distinguish in-between, to be responsive or irresponsive... Yet, 'can happen'.
Not being nonverbal or verbal 'can happen'.
Not having a burnout, yet means burnout 'can happen'.
Not having trouble passing, and yet not able to pass, 'can happen'.

PIQ/VIQ just determines the best work around to access, neither are really better nor worse than another.
Innately, I'm PIQ>VIQ/abstract/lateral/emotionally nitpicking, but VIQ>PIQ/concrete/literal/alexithymic 'can happen' too.


Just so happened that I know how to escape cycles or being stuck/fixed on certain points... Yet being trapped in cycles and being stuck, 'can happen'.


That's the best way I could describe it for now.

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Diagnosed as 'hyperactive' at age 5.

Diagnosed with HF-ASD at age 58.

ASD gives me strengths as well as weaknesses.

+ Lets me focus on one thing for a long time, if necessary.

+ Allows learning by immersion in a subject

- Exacerbates executive function issues.

- Shutdown, burnout

- Sensitive to loud noises and bright lights

I'm struggling to see that it gives me any strengths. I'm not some high flying type of person .