As a parent or caregiver of a child or teen with both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we have been through a lot of highs and lows throughout our journeys. I know that each day I ask myself if I’m dealing with behavior related to autism, ADHD, both or just age appropriate challenges? Being a parent has both its joyful and tough days, regardless of whether our kids are on the spectrum or neurotypical. For those of us with children and teens on the spectrum and have ADHD, I know that a lot of days fall into the tough category.
How our journey began
Our journey with our son J began when he was just four years old. My husband and I knew something wasn’t quite right, and we started asking a lot of questions by the time he was two years old. We talked to his pediatrician and his daycare teachers. J is highly verbal, so we didn’t have any issues with him not speaking. In fact, he talked all the time (and in some cases, he still does even though he is now a teenager).
We initially had him evaluated through our state’s First Steps program, and they rated him high in social and communications. Around grown-ups, he talked a lot and loved to interact with them. Yet, around children, he wanted to direct all the play and would get upset when things didn’t go his way. Some of that was developmentally appropriate, but the intensity of it seemed out of whack to us. We kept asking questions because the answers we received didn’t seem to be the right ones, and I’m glad we did.
Then there were the garbage trucks. Everything was about garbage trucks. He loved them! We watched YouTube videos about garbage trucks, checked out every book on the topic from our library, played with toy garbage trucks and waited impatiently on trash day for the garbage truck to come. He would squeal in delight whenever he saw a garbage truck when we were in the car, and he stopped everything in his daycare class when the garbage truck came to empty the dumpster outside his classroom window. The level of his interest was beyond anything I had seen with other kids his age.
In fact, his love of garbage trucks is what led to his diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (now part of the autism spectrum) when I mentioned it to the psychologist who was testing him. He was originally being tested for ADHD (which he ended up being diagnosed with two years later when he was in Kindergarten). After I learned about Asperger’s Syndrome, I learned that garbage trucks were his focused interest. He has gone through many focused interests over the years, as I’m sure you’ve seen with your child or teen.
Connecting on Autism and ADHD
Although there are some good websites and online groups about autism or ADHD, I wished there had been a place I could go to find out more about both — a place where parents and caregivers could connect and support one another. I know from talking to friends and acquaintances who also have kids on the spectrum that many times we feel isolated and would like to be able to connect more with others who understand what we go through every day. That is why I wanted to start the Autism & ADHD Connection blog.
Is there a connection between autism and ADHD? Scientifically, they haven’t linked them together other than more than half of people who have one have the other. In fact, when J was first diagnosed, the medical information I read said people with autism generally didn’t also have ADHD. I was told they couldn’t diagnose him with ADHD until after he started Kindergarten because he needed to be in school. He was indeed diagnosed with it at age 6. Sometimes, you have to trust Mother’s Intuition 😊
Supporting parents and caregivers of kids with autism and ADHD
Whether you are just starting your journey with your child who has recently been diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD or you’ve been on the journey for many years, I hope you find good information here and a connection with others. Parenting can be tough! We are all on this journey, so I hope we can encourage one another and learn together!
To read more about my journey, see my “About” page. I’d also love to hear from you so please leave a comment or reach out to me at [email protected]! I would love to hear about which topics interest you the most.
