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Ask the Expert: When Smart Children, Teens and Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum have ADHD

More than half of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also have ADHD. Yet often their ADHD is overlooked and not adequately treated because many clinicians and educators recognize ASD but do not see ADHD. This is especially true for those children, teens, and young adults on the spectrum whose IQ is average or above average. A Harvard study of 107 children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder found that 76% of those who had IQ scores within or above the average range also fully met diagnostic criteria for ADHD, but 41% of those youths had never received appropriate assessment or treatment for their ADHD.

A study at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia demonstrated that children on the autism spectrum who exhibit symptoms of ADHD, even if they do not fully meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD, tend to have significantly more difficulty with adaptive behavior in school, home, and community and tend to benefit from ADHD treatment.

Dr. Brown will offer examples of children, teens, and young adults on the spectrum who have average or above-average smarts and have ADHD. He will describe how such youths can be provided with assessments and helpful treatment for ADHD. He is the author of ADHD and Asperger Syndrome in Smart Kids and Adults.

Feb 15, 2023 02:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)