Where autism and attention deficit meet

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Decoding the overlap between autism and ADHD

Autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often coincide, but the search for common biological roots has turned up conflicting evidence.

By Ricki Rusting
7 February 2018 | 13 min read

‘Baby sibs’ who evade autism remain at risk for attention deficit

Sally Ozonoff is looking for early signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in videos of hundreds of younger siblings of children with autism.

By Hannah Furfaro
13 February 2018 | 4 min read
newscast scene, two men with documents

Inside Scoop From the Autism Anchors: The attention deficit-autism overlap

Raphael Bernier and James Mancini describe the similarities and differences between autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

By Spectrum
14 February 2018 | 1 min read

From the archives

child in bathtub with a cut on elbow

Problems with attention, not autism, predispose children to injury

Young children with autism sustain injuries primarily because of co-occurring attention deficit.

By Emily Anthes
27 November 2017 | 4 min read
Boy staring at fidget spinner

Risk genes for autism overlap with those for attention deficit

People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may carry certain rare, harmful mutations in many of the same genes as people with autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
25 November 2019 | 4 min read

Shared genetic pathways underlie autism, attention deficit

A trio of studies make the strongest case to date for shared genetic roots between autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

By Bahar Gholipour
18 May 2017 | 5 min read

Medication, parent coaching quell hyperactivity in autism

A drug called atomoxetine eases hyperactivity in children who have both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
1 November 2016 | 4 min read

Some children may truly outgrow autism

Children who officially lose their autism diagnosis show no residual signs of the condition.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
19 October 2016 | 3 min read

Common brain signature marks autism, attention deficit

Children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder all show similar disruptions in brain structure.

By Ann Griswold
8 August 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Psychiatric problems common in siblings of people with autism

Mental health conditions crop up more than twice as often in families that include a child with autism as in the general population.

By Ann Griswold
23 June 2016 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Clinical acumen key in discerning autism, attention deficit

A widely used diagnostic test for autism can reliably distinguish the condition from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but not always.

By Ann Griswold
4 March 2016 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Attention deficit may mask autism, delay diagnosis

Children who have both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism receive their autism diagnosis an average of four years later than those who have autism alone.

By Rachel Nuwer
26 October 2015 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Questions for Deborah Fein: Defining ‘optimal outcome’

Understanding why some children appear to outgrow their autism diagnosis may provide clues about the biology of the disorder but shouldn’t dictate treatment decisions, says Deborah Fein.

By Jessica Wright
3 March 2015 | 8 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Cara Pugliese.

Autism program chief among National Institutes of Health layoffs

The termination is one of more than 1,000 employee cuts at the U.S. agency this week.

By Rachel Zamzow
21 February 2025 | 3 min read
Illustration of columns of text with eyes peeking out from behind the central column to look at a bright blue spot.

This paper changed my Life: Bill Newsome reflects on a quadrilogy of classic visual perception studies

The 1970s papers from Goldberg and Wurtz made ambitious mechanistic studies of higher brain functions seem feasible.

By Bill Newsome
21 February 2025 | 6 min read
Interconnected lines form a world map.

Science must step away from nationally managed infrastructure

Scientific data and independence are at risk. We need to work with community-driven services and university libraries to create new multi-country organizations that are resilient to political interference.

By Dan Goodman
20 February 2025 | 7 min read