Neurodivergent Insights with Dr. Megan Anna Neff

AuDHD and OCD overlap in ways that make all three hard to see clearly, and most of us don't get language for it until we've been confused by these patterns for years.This video is for AuDHD adults, late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD people who suspect OCD might be in the mix, and clinicians working at the intersection. We walk through where they overlap, and how to begin teasing apart what is what — including practical questions you can ask yourself in the moment.📩 If you'd like to go deeper, here's the full article on ADHD, autism, and OCD: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/adhd-vs-autism-vs-ocd/In this video, we explore:→ Why OCD often gets missed when ADHD or autism are already in the picture→ How working memory shows up differently in ADHD vs OCD vs AuDHD→ The difference between ADHD compensation and OCD compulsion (and how they can spiral into each other)→ Why autistic people need routines — and how that's different from OCD avoidance→ A predictive-processing explanation of why familiarity matters→ How to tell an autistic ritual from an OCD compulsion (look for the logic)→ What shows up at the three-way intersection — sensory sensitivities, BFRBs, executive function strain→ A starting place for noticing your own patterns with curiosity instead of judgementOCD commonly co-occurs with both autism and ADHD, and clinical observation suggests rates may be higher for AuDHD folks specifically. The overlap with predictive processing, executive functioning, and sensory differences means this work benefits from both neurodivergent-affirming accommodations AND targeted treatment for OCD — not one or the other.

The autism rate in the U.S. has risen from 1 in 150 to 1 in 31 over the past two decades. But the story behind that number is far more nuanced than the headlines suggest. In this conversation, Dr. Megan Anna Neff and Dr. Donna Henderson walk through the history of autism in the DSM, the systemic shifts driving increased recognition, and why "epidemic" framing misses the point.
This video is for Autistic adults, late-diagnosed people, clinicians, parents, and anyone who has been asked "why is autism on the rise?" and wanted a deeper, more grounded answer to offer.

📩 If you want to go deeper on this topic, we have a visual guide and transcript available alongside this video on our website:https://neurodivergentinsights.com/episodes/why-is-autism-on-the-rise/

Two Autistic burnout authors in conversation for the first time. Dr. Megan Anna Neff sits down with Amelia Nagoski, co-author of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, to talk about what it means to complete the stress cycle when you're Autistic, alexithymic, and your body doesn't always tell you when it's stressed.
They cover the science of the stress cycle, why removing the stressor doesn't remove the stress, alexithymia and interoception, sensory-based ways to find safety, Autistic persistence as strength and risk, the link between autism and long COVID, and why collective care (not self-care) is the real path out of burnout.

When autism is identified first, ADHD can hide in plain sight, tucked behind the structure, the routines, and the focused intensity that autistic neurology creates. If you've been told your focus looks "fine" while you're quietly drowning in cognitive noise, half-finished tasks, and a nervous system that won't settle, this video explores what might be going on underneath.
This video is for AuDHD adults, late-identified Autistic people exploring whether ADHD is also part of their experience, and clinicians working with neurodivergent clients.
If you want to go deeper, I wrote a companion article that maps out all six patterns in detail:
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/adhd-hides-autism/
How autistic routines and structure can compensate for and hide ADHD distractibility

Why shutdowns and meltdowns get attributed to autism alone, missing the ADHD cognitive overwhelm

The difference between autistic inertia and ADHD task paralysis, and how both can operate at once

How special interests can mask ADHD novelty seeking (the "special interest solar system")

Why quiet, inattentive ADHD is especially vulnerable to being missed when autism is already known

How monotropism can look like excellent focus while ADHD fragments attention outside that channel

Defensive monotropic mode: when deep focus becomes an escape from ADHD overwhelm

Diagnostic overshadowing from co-occurring mental health conditions

If you’ve been told “it’s just ADHD,” there may be autistic traits hiding in plain sight under AuDHD. In this episode, I walk through six ways ADHD can overshadow autism in AuDHD adults, and what that actually feels like in everyday life.
Whether you’re a neurodivergent adult or a clinician, we explore how diagnostic overshadowing shows up in real life and why so many AuDHD adults, especially women and marginalized folks, don’t get the full autistic picture until later in life.
Read the companion article and resources:
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/adhd-hides-autism
In this episode, we cover:
Why social struggles get read as “just impulsive” or “ADHD social skills issues” instead of autistic communication differences

How sensory seeking and sensory overload get filed under ADHD “hyperactivity” instead of autistic sensory processing

Executive function differences that go deeper than ADHD alone, especially in AuDHD adults juggling multiple roles

Emotional responses to change being misread as “poor frustration tolerance” instead of autistic need for predictability and transition support

Special interests being collapsed into “ADHD hyperfocus,” hiding autistic passion, depth, and pattern‑seeking

How masking uses ADHD traits to cover autistic traits, and what unmasking can look like for AuDHD

This episode is for education only. It is not medical advice and is not therapy.
More from Neurodivergent Insights:
Weekly newsletter and resource vault: https://newsletter.neurodivergentinsights.com/resource-vault

Self-Care for Autistic People: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care-for-autistic-people/

The Autistic Burnout Workbook: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/autistic-burnout-workbook/

Workbooks and tools: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/workbook/

Trainings: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/trainings/

Website: https://neurodivergentinsights.com

#AuDHD, ADHD, autism, diagnostic overshadowing, adult neurodivergence