Autism and ADHD

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects how a person communicates and relates to other people and the world around them. It’s a spectrum condition which means that whilst all people with autism share certain areas of difficulty, their condition will affect them in different ways.

There are an estimated 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK. When taking into account their families, this is a total of 2.8 million people who are living with autism.

Some autistic people will have high support needs and require full-time care. Others may need a bit of support with everyday activities, while others live fully independent lives.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.

Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more noticeable when a child’s circumstances change, such as when they start school. Most cases are diagnosed when children are under 12 years old, but sometimes it’s diagnosed later in childhood. Sometimes ADHD was not recognised when someone was a child, and they are diagnosed later as an adult.

People with ADHD may also have additional problems, such as sleep and anxiety disorders.