Is ADD / ADHD a mild form of autism?

[arthurfakaya]

I came across something the other day (can't remember where now) that got me wondering whether ADD / ADHD should be part of the ASD spectrum. I know that the DSM classifies them as separate conditions, but then the DSM is simply a way of giving labels to clusters of symptoms. When one labels conditions one is making distinctions between them based on criteria which can be quite arbitrary. If one thinks about it, the epidemic in both autism and ADD / ADHD started around the same time. Might not both have a common cause? Might not the medical profession be attempting to reduce the numbers by calling it different things?

Any thoughts?

 

[dwc780]

There might be some common origins, but I know a lot of ADD/ADHD people who are completely neurotypical in every other way. A few that have some quirks and whose brains work different enough that they might be on the spectrum or have some ASD tendencies, but nothing definitive. This is all anecdotal, of course, based on my personal experience.

 

[Arashi222]

Actually they are not the same. Most people actually have traits of most disorders to some degree or another. That does not mean they are the same. ADHD which is what it is referred to know with a specifier indicating which type the person had can be co-morbid with many disorders. Just because there are many people with autism that have Adhd doesn't mean that its linked. There are many people with OCD too but that is also a separate disorder for that as well or shadow syndromes which you might want to look into. There are very specific symptoms that are actually quite different from Autism to ADHD.

 

[dwc780]

Actually they are not the same. Most people actually have traits of most disorders to some degree or another. That does not mean they are the same. ADHD which is what it is referred to know with a specifier indicating which type the person had can be co-morbid with many disorders. Just because there are many people with autism that have Adhd doesn't mean that its linked. There are many people with OCD too but that is also a separate disorder for that as well or shadow syndromes which you might want to look into. There are very specific symptoms that are actually quite different from Autism to ADHD.

Could it be that people who have one disorder are more inclined to have more traits of other disorders?

 

[Dragon's Tooth]

I think in a lot of cases ADD and ADHD is just a convenient way to classify kids so that they can be shoved on meds rather than actually teaching them or dealing with them. In saying that I think there are some people who are actually ADD and ADHD I just think the term is largely over used. Its easier to drug a kid than to actually admit you might be failing them because you work too much or what ever.

ADD and ADHD could probably be replaced with PDD/NOS because I think a lot of stuff they display is more under this category. But I'm no expert. Just some observations I've seen. Too many people too quick to think that a kid who doesn't fit the "normal" models of behaviour or learning needs drugs than a different way of thinking.

 

[Donein]

Here is a defintion of NLD and they mention ADHD and they mention AS.




Nonverbal learning disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Donein]

Could it be that people who have one disorder are more inclined to have more traits of other disorders?

Yes yes and more yes......I think it is much more common when you have AS to have other disorders such as ADHD or some personality disorder. Think about this??? AS is heridatary right? Right now in America, everyone is clueless to this,,,and there are millions who have it...so guess what, chances are you may have been raised by one. Undiagnosed AS leads to dysfunction... Dysfunction of Alcohlism, drug abuse, out of control rages .... So when you do this to a child - u get personality disorders in the child. And that parent that is drinking, drugging, screaming - guess what he has? A Personality disorder to go along with the AS.