What Differentiates Autism from ADHD?

PostedNovember 12, 2025

UpdatedNovember 12, 2025

ByMy Patient Advice

Author: Beatrice Holloway, MSc | Reviewed by: Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

The difference between autism and ADHD lies in how each condition affects development, behaviour, and interaction. While they share overlapping traits like restlessness or difficulty concentrating, they stem from different neurological profiles. Understanding these differences is crucial to getting the right diagnosis and support.

Both autism and ADHD are neurodevelopmental, but autism is primarily linked to differences in social behaviour, communication, and sensory processing. ADHD, on the other hand, centres more around focus issues, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. These conditions can co-exist, but their core challenges and how they’re experienced day to day are not the same.

Key Differences in Symptoms and Traits

To spot the developmental signs that distinguish the two, here are a few behaviours to look at more closely:

Social Interaction

Autistic individuals may find social cues hard to read or show limited interest in socialising. In ADHD, social challenges usually come from impulsivity or distractibility rather than a fundamental difference in social understanding.

Attention and Focus

People with ADHD often struggle with sustaining focus across most tasks. In autism, individuals may hyperfocus on specific interests but have trouble shifting attention or tolerating unexpected changes.

Routine and Flexibility

Those with autism tend to prefer strict routines and can be distressed by changes. People with ADHD may be more spontaneous, often struggling to stick to routines at all.

Recognising the difference between autism and ADHD helps avoid misdiagnosis and ensures each person receives care that suits their unique profile.

Visit providers like Autism Detect for personal consultations.

For a deeper dive into the science, diagnosis, and full treatment landscape,read our complete guide to misdiagnosis and differential diagnosis.

Beatrice Holloway, MSc

Author

Beatrice Holloway is a clinical psychologist with a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and a BS in Applied Psychology. She specialises in CBT, psychological testing, and applied behaviour therapy, working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delays, and learning disabilities, as well as adults with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, OCD, and substance use disorders. Holloway creates personalised treatment plans to support emotional regulation, social skills, and academic progress in children, and delivers evidence-based therapy to improve mental health and well-being across all ages.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the author's privacy.

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Reviewer

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez is a UK-trained physician with an MBBS and experience in general surgery, cardiology, internal medicine, gynecology, intensive care, and emergency medicine. She has managed critically ill patients, stabilised acute trauma cases, and provided comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. In psychiatry, Dr. Fernandez has worked with psychotic, mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, applying evidence-based approaches such as CBT, ACT, and mindfulness-based therapies. Her skills span patient assessment, treatment planning, and the integration of digital health solutions to support mental well-being.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the reviewer's privacy.