What is AuDHD? (And what does that mean in a training environment?)

(The Rainbow Infinity symbol is often used as an inclusive sign for Neurodivergent conditions.)

​You’ve probably heard of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and you’ve probably also heard of Autism.  But have you heard of AuDHD? (Pronounced Audi-H-D)

AuDHD is an unofficial term that describes a person who has both Autism (That’s the ‘Au’ bit) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (That’s the ‘A(u)DHD’ bit). Hence the terms Autism and ADHD being combined into AuDHD.

The dual diagnosis only officially came into being when the medical assessment (DSM-5) was updated in 2013 to allow for a dual diagnosis. (Of course, people have had combined neurodivergent conditions well before this, it just wasn’t official!)

So, if we know about ADHD, and we know about Autism, why do we need another label for those who have both?  Because… whilst the two conditions have some similarities, they also have some opposing traits that can make things more complex especially in a learning environment

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BACKGROUND

Before we start to delve deeper, I should point out I’m no expert! In fact, the terms ADHD and ASC (Autism Spectrum Condition/Disorder, depending on who you speak to) weren’t really on my radar until about 8 years ago. It was then that my son’s teacher asked us to ‘pop in for a chat’ and we found ourselves talking about ADHD.

Fast forward to now and he has a confirmed diagnosis for ADHD and ASC. Not everyone wants to get assessed, or get a ‘label’, and that’s fine, we just wanted to understand our son better and, in the process, help others (particularly his teachers) to understand him better too.

​What was also interesting to me as a Learning and Development professional, is that it has also opened a whole new world for me to understand my learners better too. I took what I’d learnt from my son’s diagnosis and started applying techniques into my own training programmes.

So, what follows is my own experience, and my intention in sharing it is to help others gain insight into it too.

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What is ADHD and ASC?

ADHD tends to focus on these three headings:·

• Inattention: Difficulties sustaining attention, staying organized, and completing tasks, often resulting in careless mistakes and forgetfulness.
• Hyperactivity: Characterized by excessive and inappropriate levels of physical restlessness, fidgeting, and an inability to remain still, particularly in situations requiring sustained attention or quiet activities.
• Impulsivity: Involves acting quickly without considering the consequences, leading to interruptions, risky behaviours, and difficulties with self-control and inhibition.

ASC tends to focus on these three headings:

• Differences in communication and social interaction: Challenges in understanding and using verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as difficulties in interpreting social cues, which can result in social awkwardness, difficulty maintaining relationships, and challenges in understanding others' perspectives.
• Repeated behaviours: May include repetitive movements, insistence on sameness or routines, and intense preoccupation with specific objects or topics, serving as coping mechanisms or sources of comfort.
• Specialized interests: Developing intense interests in specific topics, objects, or activities, which they may pursue with great focus and depth, providing a sense of comfort, predictability, and expertise in a world that can feel overwhelming or confusing.

As you can see, having both neurodivergent conditions can mean having competing traits, such as wanting verity and doing things on the spur of the moment (ADHD) but also wanting routine and structure (ASC).

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CONSIDERATIONS FOR A TRAINING ENVIRONMENT?

(Remember everyone is different, so these are just a few possible combinations.)

ATTENTION
Situation: An AuDHD participant MAY struggle with maintaining attention and focus during training sessions, especially if the material is lengthy (ADHD trait), but they could also fixate on a certain topic wanting to drill it down for complete clarity (ASC trait).

Good practice for all: Design your training so it breaks down into smaller chunks. (Give context, then step by step instructions as they are required.) Allow for different interaction levels, and space to reflect and deep dive into certain areas.  Be prepared to bring things back on topic but allowing for outstanding questions to be captured for post workshop conversations.

SENSORY OVERLOAD:
Situation: Training environments can involve a lot of sensory stimuli such as noise, visual presentations, and crowded spaces. ADHD and ASD share this common trait for experiencing sensory input differently.

Good practice for all: We are often not able to choose the rooms we train in, but if you can try to get one with the least possible distractions it will help.  Also consider the following: Assess if some of the lights can be switched off.  Try blanking your presentation screen when not in use (Control B on your keyboard).  Avoid playing music with lyrics when people are trying to focus on an activity.

UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING NEW CONCEPTS:
Situation: Imagine the scene, you’ve just asked your learners to get into groups, work on a hypothetical scenario, and come up with an action plan to present back to the other groups.  Not an uncommon training practice. The issue here is that understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts can be a struggle (ASC trait) but also there may be an issue with processing and retaining new information, particularly if it requires sustained attention or working memory (ADHD Trait).

Good practice for all: Consider having real life scenarios that participants can relate to.  Have specifics and be prepared to answer more questions about it.  Consider sending out pre-work highlighting which topics will be included in the session.  If they choose to be the spokesperson for the group presentation, allow them to confer with their team if everything was covered.


SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AND GROUP ACTIVITIES:
Situation: Business training often involves lots of people attending that may not know each other.  Add into the mix group activities, discussions, and certain exercises there’s a lot of interaction here. The variety of doing something new can be very appealing (ADHD trait) but interpreting social cues or engaging in reciprocal communication can be quite stressful (ASC trait).

Good practice for all: If possible, let people know prior to the session who is attending and what the set up is when they arrive. Have a good opening section that establishes expectations (ground rules), the agenda and a purposeful icebreaker can help the initial interaction.  Throughout the session allow for different levels of interaction, e.g. individual, pairs, group.  And most importantly let people know they are in charge of their learning, so if something works for them (Typing everything on a laptop or standing up and moving around) that’s all good too.


As you can see with ALL these scenarios, the suggestions given are headed ‘Good practice for all’.  This is because making any changes to enhance learning for a few individuals will often have a better outcome for everyone.

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THE BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE I CAN OFFER…

Having spent almost 30 years helping others to learn and grow, the biggest piece of advice I can offer anyone who trains, facilitates, or educates others is… ask EVERYONE prior to them arriving AND on the day of the session: “What would help you get the most from this workshop?’ Then adapt your design, be flexible during delivery, and ultimately recognise that everyone deserves an environment they can learn in.

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Written by Nikie Forster: L&D Consultant, who specialises in Management Development and Train-the-Trainer Programme AND Mum or a wonderful Son who happens to have AuDHD.