This page is information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose. If it sounds like you, the next step is a conversation with your GP — not a conclusion here.
You've read something, or a friend said something, or you've always known something was different. This page describes what ADHD and autism can look like in adults — not as a checklist, but as the things people actually describe.
If a lot of it sounds familiar, that's worth taking seriously. It's also worth being careful: no page can tell you whether you're ADHD or autistic. Only a proper assessment can.
ADHD affects attention, energy, and impulse control. It shows up in three broad ways, and people usually have a mix.[ADHD UK]
The inattentive side. Being easily distracted. Losing things constantly — keys, phone, the thing you had in your hand a second ago. Finding it hard to start or finish tasks. Time feeling slippery. Being called forgetful or scatterbrained.
The hyperactive side. Restlessness, even when sitting still. Feeling like your brain won't switch off. Talking a lot, or interrupting. Racing thoughts.
The impulsive side. Making quick decisions. Saying yes before thinking it through. Spending money, or starting projects, without a plan.
One thing worth knowing: ADHD is missed more often in women, because the inattentive side is quieter than the hyperactive side.[NHS] If you've been told you're anxious, depressed, or just bad at organising — and none of it quite fits — this is worth a second look.
Autism affects how you experience the world and other people.[NHS] In adults, it can look like:
Social. Finding conversations harder than they seem to be for everyone else. Taking things literally. Needing time alone to recover. Copying how other people behave so you fit in — which is called masking, and it's exhausting.
Routine and sameness. Needing things to be a certain way. Getting very upset when plans change, even small ones. Finding uncertainty hard to sit with.
Sensory. Being overwhelmed by noise, light, texture, or crowds. Or the opposite — needing certain textures, sounds, or pressure. Finding some environments physically painful.
Interests and focus. Deep, intense interests you can lose hours in. Noticing details other people miss.
Autism is missed more often in women too, and in people of colour.[Beyond Autism] If you've learned to mask well, the signs aren't invisible — they're just harder for other people to see.
ADHD and autism often come together. About four in ten autistic people also have ADHD.[Cambridge] When they do, some things pull in opposite directions — you want routine but get bored of it; you want connection but find it exhausting.
If you see yourself in both sections, that's not unusual. It's common enough that it has a name: AuDHD.
Most research on ADHD and autism is based on white boys and men. Diagnostic tools and stereotypes were built around them. If you're a woman, a person of colour, or someone who masks, the standard picture may not describe you — not because you don't fit, but because the picture was drawn too small.
Screening tools aren't a diagnosis. They're a starting point — something to take to a GP, to say "I've read this and it sounds like me."
A short questionnaire used for adults. It doesn't diagnose ADHD — it tells you whether it's worth asking for a full assessment.
Take the ASRS →A ten-question autism screener used to decide whether a referral makes sense. It's a first step, not an answer.
Take the AQ-10 →An 80-item questionnaire designed for adults, covering lifelong social and sensory traits.
Take the RAADS-R →And one thing worth saying plainly: if you take a screening questionnaire and score low, it doesn't mean you're not ADHD or autistic. It means this particular tool didn't capture you. Some of them miss people who mask. That's a limitation of the tool, not a verdict on you.