AuDHD in children and teens: what parents need to know

Parenting a teen with autism or ADHD comes with its own learning curve. When both conditions are present at the same time, a state known as AuDHD, the experience can feel even more complex.

This article can help if:

• your teen has just received a dual diagnosis

• you’re trying to make sense of a profile that doesn’t quite fit one condition alone

• you’re trying to understand what AuDHD means day-to-day.

What is AuDHD?

AuDHD is a community (non-clinical) term used to describe someone who has a diagnosis of both autism and ADHD. 

Having both conditions means the two are happening simultaneously and are constantly interacting – sometimes amplifying each other, sometimes pulling in opposite directions, and sometimes making one condition harder to distinguish from the other.

The term reflects and acknowledges the complexities that come when the traits and behaviours of both conditions coexist in the same person.

Can my child have both autism and ADHD?

Your child can definitely have traits of both autism and ADHD, but it has only been since 2013 that a diagnosis for both was allowable under diagnostic guidelines. This means that older teens and young adults diagnosed before then might meet the criteria for AuDHD. 

Current research suggests that somewhere between 30 and 50 per cent of people with either autism or ADHD also have the other condition, with some researchers wondering if AuDHD might one day be recognised as a separate neurodevelopmental condition. 

What are the signs my child might be AuDHD?

Children who are likely to be AuDHD will show strengths, differences and difficulties that reflect one or the other of these conditions either at different times or simultaneously. What most parents notice is that their child desires or does better with a strict routine, but struggles to follow it. Other signs commonly include:

• behaving differently at home than at school 

• having intense or frequent periods of significant distress

• experiencing heightened sensory sensitivities

• having the ability to hyperfocus on their own interests and hobbies, but experiencing extreme difficulty in starting or switching tasks

• needing more co-regulation after school or when participating in social events.

Young people with both autism and ADHD experience the world with incredible intensity. Because their brains are wired to take in so much cognitive, social and sensory information at once, they can easily become overwhelmed. When a big emotional reaction happens, it isn’t bad behaviour; it’s a deeply felt response to a world that feels too loud or too chaotic. Because of how hard their brains are working, these big feelings can take a lot more energy to navigate and may last quite a while before the young person feels safe and calm again.

Here’s a quick reference guide to help you work out what might be autism, ADHD or both.

What does ‘meltdown’ mean, and should I use the term?

The term 'meltdown’ is commonly used within the neurodivergent community to describe a complete nervous system overload. It isn’t bad behaviour, defiance, or a temper tantrum. Rather, it’s a deeply felt, involuntary response to a loud, chaotic or demanding moment, during which the person can’t be bargained with or stopped through punishment.

Words like ‘meltdown’ can sometimes feel heavy, medicalised and even dismissive. Some prefer to talk about ‘significant distress’ or ‘sensory overload’ to emphasise what is happening internally. The most important thing is the shift in perspective: recognising that your child isn’t acting out, but is in deep distress and needs safety, low demands, and dedicated recovery time. 

To learn more, read our guide to neuroaffirming language.

What overlapping traits can make identification harder?

There are a lot of similar traits between autism and ADHD that make it difficult to distinguish clearly between them. These include:

• executive dysfunction (specifically, attentional control and emotional regulation)

• friendship difficulties 

• sensory sensitivities

• sleep difficulties

• food-related issues

• feeling easily overwhelmed

• unusual interests

• hyperfocus

• outbursts that seem impulsive, reactionary and out of proportion.

How is AuDHD assessed, what should I expect, and how can I manage the costs?

The assessment approach

AuDHD is assessed as both autism and ADHD using the guidelines set out by the Sylvia Rodger Institute (previously Autism CRC) and the Australasian ADHD Professionals Association. 

Both guidelines recommend a multi-clinician approach. This is to ensure that a comprehensive assessment is completed by a paediatrican/developmental psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapist or speech therapist with specific training and expertise in these assessments. 

The process is thorough. It draws on a range of methods including interviews, observations, checklists, screeners and psychometric assessments. It can also gather information from parents and carers, teachers, and your child (depending on their age). 

What the pathway looks like

For children and teenagers, the most common pathway is: 

• A GP referral to a paediatrician

• A paediatrician referral to a psychologist or occupational therapist

• Assessment with the psychologist or occupational therapist.

For older teens and adults, the pathway differs slightly:

• A GP referral to a psychiatrist

• The psychiatrist conducts the ADHD assessment

• A separate referral to a psychologist for the autism assessment.

A Medicare rebate is available through the Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders initiative for people aged 25 and under, which can offset some of the cost of private clinic fees. If you have private health insurance, it’s worth checking with your insurer about what rebates may apply.  

Managing the costs

Assessments can be expensive, and fees vary significantly between clinics. It’s worth contacting a few clinics to compare costs before committing. Lower-cost and no-cost options also exist, including: 

• university clinics staffed by postgraduate students under clinical supervision

• community paediatric and mental health clinics

• non-government organisation (NGO) case management services – some NGOs can fund assessments as part of their broader family support 

• school counselling services in NSW public schools, which can provide part of the assessment (including checklists, certain psychometric assessments and observations). This can be shared with a private psychologist and may reduce the overall cost. 

Low- and no-cost assessment clinics are in high demand and often have very lengthy waitlists. Take time to consider your options and how urgent the need for assessment is. Be prepared to pay for some out-of-pocket costs if you need to move sooner, but make sure the right referrals are in place from the start to offset what you can. 

Regardless of which pathway you choose, collaborating with your child’s school psychologist or counsellor to gather school-based information is a useful place to start this process. 

How can I support my AuDHD child at home?

Supporting your AuDHD child at home is really no different from supporting them if they had either diagnosis alone. Your AuDHD child will benefit from:

• low demands to reduce overwhelm, particularly after school

• safe sensory spaces

• opportunities for co- and self-regulation

• predictable and consistent routines

• visual schedules 

• autonomy and novelty to support creativity

• time to process information and respond to questions

• opportunities to withdraw and recover after a long day of masking.

How can I manage sensory needs and the environment?

Your home is one of the places where you have the most control, which makes it one of the most important places to get right.

Building a dedicated safe sensory space, somewhere your child can retreat to when overwhelmed or to regulate while still being part of the household, makes a real difference. It doesn’t need to be a whole room. A corner with the right tools might be enough.

Portable sensory tools also help for situations where the environment can’t be controlled, like at school, or in shopping centres or crowded places. Useful options include:

• noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs

• noise dampeners to muffle complex sounds

• tactile sensory materials chosen for portability and ease of use

• comfort items.

How do I support emotional regulation?

Co-regulation often requires you to be regulated to support your child’s overwhelm. 

But before it gets to that stage, here are some useful hints you can use to assist regulation before overwhelm sets in:

• Pacing. This is about matching your child’s current capacity with the task they’re expected to do. For example, if they’ve just come home from school, reducing the need for conversation or decision making could be helpful in preventing overwhelm.

• Regular sensory breaks. Building in opportunities for your child to move their body or change location, or encouraging stimulation or reducing overwhelm, are helpful prevention and regulation strategies.

• Promote authenticity. Listen to your child talk about their interests. Don’t take it personally if they don’t want to chat, and let them stim as much or as little as they need. Advocate for them to other family members who might not understand their behaviour or unique needs.

• Make rest a non-negotiable. Recovery time isn’t procrastination or laziness; it’s vital to maintaining regulation and preventing overwhelm from happening in the first place. Build it into the day as a given, not as something that has to be earned. 

How do I balance routines, flexibility and avoiding burnout?

This is one of the areas AuDHDers and their parents find really hard to manage. The need for routine and predictability pulls in one direction, while the need for novelty and creativity pulls in the other. That tension can often result in reduced productivity, increased conflict and obvious distress for everyone. 

It might be useful to:

• be consistent with household routines such as self-care, meals and bedtime

• allow autonomy and flexibility with homework or study schedules

• watch for tendencies for overcommitment – get to know your teen’s limits so you can step in when needed

• acknowledge the need for regular rest and recovery time, but be aware that this can tip into procrastination or avoidance

• manage expectations and demands around periods of high stress

• provide support where needed without micromanaging.

How can I advocate for my AuDHD child at school?

Advocacy is one of the most important things you can do for your child’s wellbeing. But it can be daunting, especially if your own school experience wasn’t positive or if you’re already overwhelmed by parenting a neurodivergent child. 

You’re the expert on your child’s strengths, differences and difficulties. But sometimes you need to rely on others to ensure your child gets exactly what they need in order to succeed. 

Schools are usually very well-prepared to support your child. It’s important to form and maintain a collaborative relationship with the school’s learning and wellbeing team during your child’s years at school. 

Start with a conversation with your child about what school feels like for them and what they’d like to be different. The next step is to contact their year adviser. If you’re not sure who that is, the school’s front office will point you in the right direction. 

What adjustments and support plans can we ask for?

Generally speaking, any reasonable adjustment or accommodation can be requested. Common adjustments include: 

• Environment – seating arrangements, use of sensory tools in the classroom, safe exiting of overwhelming environments.  

• Learning – use of handouts rather than copying from the board, speech to text or text to speech technology, Assistive AI. 

• Assessment tasks – chunking of assessments, choice in how the assessment will be completed, specialised and formal considerations to exams (usually the HSC). 

• Wellbeing – time-out cards, sensory breaks, school counsellor intervention.

Of course, the word ‘reasonable’ can have a different meaning depending on the person. But providing the school with clear information about your child’s needs and the reasons behind them tends to be met with more support than parents may anticipate. 

How do I talk to teachers and school staff?

Teachers and other school staff appreciate any information you can provide about your child’s needs. Approaching them early and proactively can make a big difference. 

Where appropriate, share relevant information from your child’s therapy team. Point key staff towards resources or other materials that explain AuDHD in plain language. 

Building a working relationship between home, school and the therapy team – where relevant information is shared across all three domains – tends to make advocacy easier and more effective over time. You might find that you need to start the new school year by bringing the new teachers up to speed. Requesting a meeting very early in Term 1 is an effective and proactive way to minimise issues that can interfere with learning and wellbeing. 

What NDIS supports are available for AuDHD?

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding in this instance is specific for autism, with ADHD recognised as a secondary condition relative to autism. However, ADHD as a singular diagnosis is classified as a medical condition and is therefore covered under Medicare. 

You can use NDIS funds and Medicare rebates at the same time, but your clinician needs to be skilled in separating the treatment approaches and setting therapy goals that are clearly linked to each diagnosis. It’s best to have this conversation with your clinician early so that clear goals are set within the right funding parameters. 

How do I look after myself as a parent?

Parenting an AuDHD child or teen is genuinely hard. That’s worth saying plainly and not glossing over. The combined impacts of the similarities and differences in autism and ADHD often lead to more pronounced differences and difficulties. 

Knowing that your child’s mood, communication or energy levels can fluctuate rapidly and frequently is key to understanding their needs. This makes it easier for you to meet them where they are at any time, even if they seemed fine just moments before. 

It’s also worth knowing that parent burnout is real. If you’re feeling really exhausted, emotionally depleted, or like you’ve got nothing left in the tank, that’s a sign you need some extra support. Some things that might help include: 

• staying connected to your child’s therapy team so you’re not navigating this alone

• using resources for parents about ADHD and autism 

• prioritising self-care, and building your own rest and recovery into the week

• finding community with other parents of neurodivergent kids

• talking to your GP if you’re struggling, or exploring other parent support options.

Parenting a neurodivergent child requires different approaches, like information-seeking, upskilling in advocacy and understanding the world through their experiences. If this is your first step in this new way of parenting, I hope you’ve found this article helpful and that you can use the hints, tips and advice not just to enhance your parenting skills but also to make your child’s life a little less complicated in the process.

Frequently asked questions about AuDHD