Both of them are neurodevelopmental condition and show similar signs. But I can’t fully grasp the major differences here. Please explain.
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Autism is when you don’t understand the hidden subtext that most everybody else does when interacting with others. There are other effects but this is the main pillar of how it’s expressed. Basically whenever you interact with someone there is a shared understanding between most people of what certain things mean, Autistic people tend to struggle to grasp that hidden message that to others is understood in context.
Example: you’re talking to a friend about another person in your class and your friend tries to suggest that you are attracted to this person by raising their eyebrows repeatedly and nudging you with their elbow. To most people this is clearly an attempt to say they think that you are attracted to that classmate without using those words, Autistic people will tend to need you to spell this out in plain words or they just won’t understand.
ADHD is a problem with decision making (we call it executive function but thats not a ELI5 friendly term) basically the brain can’t handle having too many outside influences or else it starts to short out and can’t properly delegate tasks it would normally do to keep you focused on your main goal. This can end up making you lose track of your plans and get lost in something entirely unrelated.
Example: I personally have ADHD and one of my biggest issues with it is carrying on small talk with friends or family. If I am in a deep conversation I can usually focus and stay on topic as usually the topic is more interesting, but with small talk I often find my mind wandering randomly and I’ll lose focus on what the other person is saying because my brain heard them use the word “orange” a couple of minutes ago and all I’ve been able to think about since is what rhymes with Orange? And then what other words like it are so hard to find a perfect rhyme for that isn’t mispronounced or a town name. I’ll linger on that thought until I realize I haven’t been listening for the last 5 minutes and now my conversation partner is waiting for me to respond to the last thing they said. Cue panic.
TLDR: Autism is a struggle to understand what people mean if they aren’t blunt and to the point. ADHD is a struggle to focus on things when your brain has a mind of its own.
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