A child that is hyperactive, cannot concentrate, avoid certain things or situations, or get too obsessed with something can cause his parents numerous worries.
Is it autism, ADHD, or a normal manifestation of the child's idiosyncrasy?
The problems of autism and ADHD are different, sometimes they can be confused, but it is essential to analyse the child's behaviour and answer some questions to be able to distinguish one from another.
Autism and ADHD: Not the Same Thing
Autism is primarily characterized by differences in social communication, interaction styles, restricted interests and repetitive patterns of behavior, and sensory processing differences.
ADHD primarily involves differences in attention, impulse control, and hyperactivity.
Nevertheless, one or the other condition may appear in children regardless of age since both problems are rather common nowadays.
Wherein Parents May Notice Similarities
There are some typical symptoms that autism and ADHD may have in common. For example, problems with attention are frequent for both diagnoses.
An autistic child may concentrate on a particular subject or activity exclusively and have a hard time being distracted. A kid with ADHD may lose attention if the activity is monotonous, boring, or of low interest.
Therefore, it may seem that a child does not listen to others when they try to communicate.
Another common issue involving both diagnoses is challenges with social interactions.
An autistic child may have difficulties understanding others, reading facial expressions and body language, following unwritten social rules, or maintaining eye contact, for instance. A kid with ADHD may act impulsively, be rude, or interrupt someone in communication.
Sometimes, such behavioral patterns may be similar to those displayed by children with ADHD.
Restlessness is another symptom of both disorders.
A child with ADHD may feel constantly active or fidgety due to being unable to regulate their activity level properly. An autistic kid may demonstrate restless movements due to excitement or stress or repetitive behaviors.
A Simple Way of Looking at the Differences
Instead of comparing symptoms, you may want to have a look at problems that are more relevant for one or another diagnosis.
Autism is more likely to be associated with the following challenges:
- a desire to follow a strict daily routine,
- issues with maintaining conversations,
- repetitive movements, obsessive interests,
- sensory seeking or sensory sensitivity,
- unexpected changes. Meanwhile,
- ADHD is more likely to involve impulsive behavior,
- attention issues, hyperactivity,
- problems with memory,
- inattentiveness,
- issues with waiting for one’s turn.
However, it should be noted that these symptoms are not definitive in any way. A child may demonstrate some of the mentioned symptoms without having any of the two diagnoses.
Is it Possible to Have Both Autism and ADHD?
Yes, a kid may be diagnosed with both disorders since both are frequently found in the same child.
Such kids may have more severe symptoms that are more challenging to treat.
For example, a child may want to follow a strict daily routine (this is typical for autism) but cannot do that because of inattentiveness or impulsive behavior (typical for ADHD).
Hence, there is the necessity to address both issues in such a child.
What Can Parents Do if They Suspect Something Is Wrong?
If you suspect that your child displays symptoms of autism or ADHD, the first thing to do is to pay attention to the peculiar patterns of their behavior.
You need to try to identify the situations/triggers when the autistic behaviors_manifest and the ways these behaviors affect the child’s life.
For instance, do these behaviors occur only sometimes or always? Do they appear in unfamiliar environments or among unfamiliar people? What are these children like when they are engaged in an activity that they enjoy? What challenges do they experience while communicating with others? Do they tend to avoid social interactions, especially those they find unpleasant or uninteresting? Do they need additional motivation to encourage them to do something the adults want them to do?
Once these questions are answered, the next step is to consult with specialists to find out the exact cause of the observed behavioral patterns.
Support Should Be Individualized
There is no universal approach to dealing with autism or ADHD because every child is unique.
A wide range of interventions and strategies may help kids with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. Sometimes a child needs to be placed in a special individualized education program while in other cases, kids may need speech-language pathologist help, training to develop communication skills, attention training, social skills training, or help with establishing a daily routine, depending on their needs. However, it is important to remember that the ultimate goal is not to make the kid ‘normal’ or force them to behave in the way society wants them to. Instead, the specialists should strive to help the child learn to communicate with others, study, and develop further in a comfortable manner, considering their specific needs and peculiarities.
Understanding Comes First
An inattentive child may want to have more attention from you. A child who cannot be motivated to study may not like studying or have issues concentrating on tasks that are not interesting to them. A hyperactive child who cannot sit still may feel uncomfortable in large groups of people or at school. A kid who cannot cope with sudden changes and perceives them as stressful events may need your support to overcome these changes.
A child is not defined by their challenges. Understanding these challenges and their effects on the child’s behavior is the first step to helping them.
Autism and ADHD are different, and every child deserves individualized support. I Support Foundation – Autism Special School in Lucknow offers comprehensive services for children with developmental disabilities to get the professional intervention they need.
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