Help out in a new area of research!

I'm a psychology masters student doing their dissertation around language and ADHD. And I really need your help. I need at least 25 responses from fellow adhders who speak English fluently. ADHD research in this area has not been explored and I'd love to open up a new area of research! 

I also need non-ADHD responders, so if you have anyone interested in this area (or anyone in general, I'm not picky) getting the word out would be amazing!

If you'd be interested please show your interest and of course leave any questions about it below.

Here's the study if you're interested: https://lancasteruni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b4thpS3UbB7Tz5c (correct link this time)

Good afternoon to all whom the contents of this message may be of interest. I am a fourth year Griffith University psychology student who is conducting a study on the experiences of parents of autistic children currently living in Australia, if you would like to read a bit more below:

Are you the parent of an autistic child?

Researchers from Griffith University are looking for parents of autistic children living within Australia to engage in a short online survey (approximately 20-25 minutes) regarding their parenting experiences. We would really appreciate hearing this valuable information from you, if you are interested!

Our Goal

To gather information from parents of autistic children and their experiences in the role. Ultimately, we hope this information will be utilised to provide insight to and/or support the development of neuroaffirming care for autistic children 😊

If you wish to know more information about the study, or would like to proceed with the survey, please visit the following link: https://griffithuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7TZVDS077sSq45g.

For any further queries or concerns, please contact student researcher Stephanie Davidson ([[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])) or supervisor Dr Sarah Lee ([[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])).

This study has been approved according to Griffith University Ethics requirements under the following ethics ID: HREC/2026/0202.

Hey everybody!

I'm a very high masking autistic woman and I find my life to be very tiring to live. It has come to the point where I completely shut down after coming home after a relatively normal day.

I am incredibly tired all the time and feel like my life is on the brink of falling apart.

Do any of you have any resources/strategies to maybe stop masking so much or how to deal with the fatigue that it brings?

Thank you so much for reading 💖.

Hello fellow AuDHDers,

I am currently conducting my first non-commercial study out of my (albeit limited) free will!

I am currently searching for participants. The requirements, have Autism and ADHD. That's it. You can have other things than these two, but the two are necessary. This study is open to anyone of any age, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender!

This study is being done privately, not by a team but just me🫰 Also the information gathered will only be used by me in this study and this study only. Emails collected will immediately be deleted after the publishing of this.

The study will eventually be published to Zenodo. If anyone wants a private copy just email me at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) .

The study is at https://www.surveycircle.com/en/survey/C6S5C7/general-questioning-about-contradictory-sympoms-of-asd-and-adhd/

Thank you all for the information!

Love y'all🫰

Edit: The study is for a self made article that I'm making just for fun.

Hello! I am a doctoral student at Nova Southeastern University, pretty darn passionate about research to improve ED treatment, neurodivergent, and also in recovery myself :) There is a lot of overlap between neurodivergence and eating disorders, but not enough research on how to improve treatment, so...

I would be really interested in getting your help recruiting for my dissertation survey. I am interested in the sensory and emotional experiences related to GI discomfort and fears of weight gain in people with EDs. The survey focuses a lot on interoception, which is a really important treatment target in people who are neurodivergent with EDs, so I want to be sure neurodivergent folks are well represented!

My info: Katerina Rinaldi, MS, [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

• Responses will be deidentified and data will be stored on password-protected accounts and devices. Information from responses will be used for the lead researcher's dissertation and may be published. If published, the lead researcher is happy to share results with this sub.
• Must be over the age of 18 and diagnosed with any eating disorder, must also be currently receiving ED-related support which could include outpatient therapy or peer support groups.
• This study is IRB approved by Nova Southeastern University, approval number NSU 2026-55

Link to survey: https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5nCbHSC5Iww2DDo

Hello!

We are doing this study because there’s a lot of research on executive dysfunction and related challenges, but not a lot of research on how people actually navigate them. We’re neurodivergent ourselves, and we know that, through online communities and therapeutic relationships, collective knowledge of potentially helpful strategies has emerged – but there is very little systematic study of whether and how people actually rely on these strategies. We’re interested in what kinds of support people actually seek out and experience as helpful. We’re also interested in whether people find digital solutions helpful. You do not need to be diagnosed to participate: these traits are a spectrum, and we are interested in a variety of perspectives.

You will find the study here: https://redcap.utu.fi/surveys/?s=TP87NAD4PCMDMXW9

When you follow the link, you’ll see a captcha (to help prevent bots from filling in the questionnaire). Full information, informed consent processes and data security will follow after the captcha.

Many thanks for helping us with our study!

Best wishes,

Dr. Polaris Koi & Dr. Karolina Lukasik

University of Turku & University of Helsinki

Aaron J. Rai, Barbara Rishworth, Roberto Gutierrez, Amanda K. Ludlow, Sensory reactivity and intolerance to uncertainty: What characterises demand avoidance behaviours in children and adolescents with pathological demand avoidance?, Research in Autism, Volume 131, 2026, 202816, ISSN 3050-6565, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2026.202816.

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050656526000301)

Abstract: The present study addressed the underlying factors contributing to Extreme Demand Avoidance (EDA) behaviours in autistic children and adolescents with and without Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Data from 795 children between the ages of 4–17 years old were analysed. Parents of 475 of autistic children and adolescents + PDA, 171 autistic children, and 94 neurotypical children completed an online composite questionnaire consisting of the characteristics of EDA, autism, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and sensory processing patterns. The findings showed that higher levels of anxiety and autism corresponded to higher EDA behaviours for all three groups. While IU and sensory reactivity were not found to be associated with EDA in the autism group; higher levels of IU corresponded with higher levels of EDA for the neurotypical controls. Importantly, this was the first study to illustrate higher levels of sensory reactivity, namely sensory sensitivity and sensory seeking, to uniquely characterise EDA in the children and adolescents identifying with autism + PDA. It is suggested that significant sensory reactivity may play a major role in the ability to undertake and/or in the avoidance of certain demands and situations for children with a PDA. Understanding the key underlying mechanisms behind EDA behaviours, could lead to a strengths-based approach, tailoring more comprehensive management strategies for autistic children with PDA, including those that address environmental sensory demands.

Keywords: Demand avoidance; Autism; Anxiety; Sensory sensitivity

My name is Zora Chan, and I am a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire. I am inviting you to participate in a research study aimed at understanding people's experiences while waiting for a formal autism diagnosis.

The goal of this research is to hear your story to inform future service development and improvement.

I am seeking to interview people who meet the following criteria:

• Are between the ages of 15 and 17. 
• Received a formal autism diagnosis within the past 12-24 months. 
• This includes individuals who may or may not have wanted to be on the waitlist. 

Participating involves an interview where you can share what your experience was like during that waiting period.

This research has received ethical approval. Ethics Reference Number: 1982-NHS-HSET-2026.

For more details on the study and to view the information sheet specific to your age group, please scan the QR codes on the poster, using the link below, or contact me directly via email.

Participant Information Form 15 yo v0.2.pdf

Participant Information Form 16-17.pdf

Participant Information Form parent.pdf

Please find poster using the link attached.

If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact me:

Zora Chan, Trainee Clinical PsychologistUniversity of Hertfordshire [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Supervisor: Dr Titian Tam, Clinical Psychologist, [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Thank you for considering taking part in this important research.

So I’ve been recently diagnosed with autism at the age of 26. I’ve been diagnosed with adhd since I was 6. Ive been learning more about myself with both autism and adhd.

I’ve admitted to my mom today about my recent diagnosis which she was not too suprised and I asked why and she shared some “inappropriate emotional responses to things” I’ve experienced as a child which made her concerned that I do have autism. It made me reflect on those childhood moments she refers too and it also reminded me with a lot of traumatic feelings I’ve had in regards to so many “timeouts” as a kid. I was put on timeout way more than my other sibilings and I never understood even why I was in timeout half the time.

All I know was I would be extremely upset, having an emotionally meltdown/panic attack feeling and my parents response would be anger at me that I was behaving poorly and I would be locked in my room till I would calm down was there goal. This made me only feel a hundred times worse. Now knowing my austim diagnosis, I know that I was experiencing autism meltdowns and whenever I would have them, I would be yelled at and locked in my room and it made them just simply escalate and my parents being scary and mad did not help. Does anybody relate to this? Is this common to experience with a child that is misunderstood with autism? What should have my parents done instead because I know it shouldn’t have been that because some of my worst feelings and memories was when I was stuck in my bedroom in full blown panic.

I'm doing a short research project on how neurodivergent adults find connection and support — what actually helps, and where existing communities (Reddit (!), Facebook groups, apps) fall short. Not selling anything, not therapy. 20–30 min video call, your experience stays anonymous. If you have any combination of neurodivergent diagnoses (ADHD, autism, or both), I'd love to hear from you — comment or DM and we'll find a time.

I will share insights from my research with anyone who participates!

Hi! My name is Elizaveta, I am an autistic autism researcher, finishing my PhD at the University of Manchester.

My thesis is focused on the views of autism community on childhood autism support. If you are interested to see more about what I'm doing, I've just got an open access systematic review published on the same topic.

My current study is a survey.

I am seeking 
- UK-based autistic adults (self-ID or prof. diagnosed)
and/or
- parents of autistic children (<18).

The survey is expected to take between 7-40 minutes, depending on how much you would like to share. I am looking for any participants, but especially for autistic parents of autistic children, male participants and people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

The survey was approved by the University of Manchester School of Environment, Education and Development Ethics Commitee (ref: 2026-25400-46441)

Link: https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_eL4wIFBcro5cSp0

Thank you!

I take anywhere from days to weeks to months to reply to people.

Has anyone found a way to enjoy replying to people and maintaining relationships, whether personal professional or similar?

Or if not has anyone found a way to make sure anyone who gets your contact immediately has the expectation that you're not always available for messaging and not always checking/reading messages.

I've thought about using a seperate phone because I don't see my device as a phone I use it for my own stuff and messages coming up feel like this bother because they're urgent in a way.

If you are a parent, you probably already know Em Hammond, a speech language pathologist by training, late diagnosed AuDHDer, and parent of 3 ND children who resides in Australia. They are also an illustrator and create wonderful free content on social media, as well as resources that can be downloaded from their store. They have just published their first graphic novel as well.

Anyway, I have always pointed people to Em's resources on explaining autistic and ADHD brains to kids, and now they have this new resource for us folk. It's worth taking a look, especially if you have young AuDHDers in your life who could benefit from a neuro-affirming illustrated resource like this.

https://www.neurowild.com.au/product-page/your-audhd-brain-32-page-illustrated-resource-worksheet

We're currently in the initial research phase and want to make sure the app is genuinely useful and grounded in real experiences — not just designed around assumptions. That's why we want to love to connect with your community.

What we are looking for:

• 30-minute video call interviews
• With 5–8 autistic adults, and separately, a few therapists or professionals who work with autistic individuals on routine-building or executive functioning
• Focus: understanding current challenges with scheduling, routines, and what tools (if any) currently help or fall short

Researchers at Swinburne University are seeking volunteers toexplore how our focus and the way we process our emotionsinfluence our attachment to everyday objects.

I am inviting members of this community to participate in an online research study investigating the relationship between attention (ADHD traits), emotion regulation, and hoarding symptoms.

This study aims to explore whether the emotional distress associated with discarding items is a critical factor in hoarding behaviours, alongside cognitive factors (executive dysfunction).

Participation involves completing an anonymous online survey hosted on Qualtrics, which will take approximately 45-60 minutes. To participate, you must be aged 18 years or older and fluent in English. A formal clinical diagnosis is not required.

For more information and to access the survey, please follow this link: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d5wWw3VPfL7le0S

My kid is doing research for their internship on autistic differences in processing chronic pain, and is having some trouble getting enough responses. If you have chronic pain, would you consider participating? The survey is fairly long, but also quite easy.

ETA: self-diagnosed/suspected autism is fine, and neurotypical responses are also needed.

More info:

"For anyone experiencing chronic pain (whether from a professionally diagnosed condition or not) who is interested in contributing to clinical research regarding chronic pain, this study involves one single in-depth online survey that will be sent via email. It is in great need of as many participants as possible! Please email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) to request the link, preferably ASAP (as the study and data collection are on a bit of a time constraint) and then fill out the single survey provided. Autistic participants (whether diagnosed or personally suspected) are not disqualified—in fact, they are encouraged! The only exclusion criteria are as follows:

1. Anyone who cannot comprehend all questions on account of language barrier, intellectual disability, etc.
2. Anyone under the age of 13.
3. Anyone who does not have access to an electronic device to complete the survey on.
4. Anyone who has fully recovered from chronic pain who may not be able to remember enough details to answer all questions accurately.
5. Anyone who has not had chronic pain (persisting for three months or more)."

Hello all!

We reached out to this sub once before and the response was amazing. Thank you guys for all of the support. We're still looking for a lot of participants, so if you have yet to take this study, and you have some time to spare, it would mean so much for the team.

My name is Kiana Gillings McArthur. I work as a research assistant in the DDMH Lab @ York University in Toronto, Canada.

We're currently conducting a study on dissociation in neurodivergent adults, primarily in adults with autism, ADHD, or both! To our current knowledge, this will be the first formalized study directly looking at dissociation in both autistic, adhd, and 'audhd' adults -- a really big milestone for the field.

This study aims to explore the relationship between all of the following:

• ADHD & autism traits;
• Sensory processing & emotion regulation;
• Restrictive & repetitive behaviours;
• Dissociation symptoms, including maladaptive daydreaming²

Our study is ethics-approved¹ and uses a variety of standardized, validated questionnaires to measure what's listed above.

Important information!

• Participation is completely anonymous!
• The survey is roughly 30 minutes, completed online. 
• We accept adult (18+) participants both with a diagnosis and without. If you self-identify as neurodivergent, you qualify!
• You do not need to experience dissociation to participate.
• We don't post the survey link outright simply to avoid spam and non-responders.
• You may share the link with colleagues, friends, or family members who you think would be interested!

If you're interested, you can:

1. Email the supervisor for this study, Dr. Panetta, at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) (preferred option; check the comments for an email template)
2. Send a DM directly to us!³
3. Leave a comment saying you'd like the survey link, and we will message you.³

Notes

1. This study has been approved by York University's Office of Research Ethics (ORE) Human Participants Review Committee (certificate # e2026-003). 
2. Maladaptive daydreaming is a newly proposed dissociative disorder that involves vivid, uncontrollable daydreaming.
3. Please note that if we don’t get back to you right away on Reddit, it’s because of DM limits.

Hello,
I am trying to find a possible link between AuDHD and deep agony over not knowing what to, how to start, how to focus and engage activities and respect the complex interactions between both conditions. Boredom and lack of routine causing bad emotions similar to panic.
Any suggestions or information.

Hi everyone,

I’m an autistic woman with ADHD and high intellectual ability/giftedness. I also have autistic family members, and in my experience it is much easier to find practical resources for children, parents, or schools than for autistic adults themselves.

I’ve previously created and shared free communication cards, needs cards, a low-energy help jar, and i recently made a visual checklist for myself before leaving the house. That made me wonder what other adult-focused resources might actually be useful.

For example:

• visual supports or pictograms for adults
• communication cards for shutdowns, overwhelm, boundaries, or needs
• checklists for daily life, appointments, work, or leaving the house
• tools for emotions, masking, burnout, sensory issues, or executive dysfunction

What would have helped you in the past?
What would still help you now?

My goal is to create free, practical, adult-looking resources based on what autistic and AuDHD adults genuinely need. This is not formal research, advertising, or data collection of any kind.

Please only share what you are comfortable with.

Hi everyone

Cuevera is a browser tool designed to help autistic and ADHD adults interpret sarcasm, indirect requests, figurative language, tone, and hidden meaning in workplace messages.

I am sharing it here to gather feedback on whether its explanations are accurate, useful, and respectful of different communication styles.

The tool uses paid AI processing, so the free trial is currently limited to 3 days. Anyone who tests it can cancel at any time before or during the trial.

Feedback would be particularly useful on:

• interpretations that feel inaccurate or overly confident
• language that feels pathologising or patronising
• situations the tool fails to understand
• whether the explanations reduce confusion in practice

Link: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/cuevera-%E2%80%94-adhd-asd-and-ne/pphpjnbekpkpfhbnhofpjkldoganikhn

This is a feedback request for a tool connected to AuDHD communication experiences. It is not a research study.

Hello,

I am a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at Jackson State University researching what, if any, differences exist between self-diagnosed and clinical-diagnosed autistic adult populations. This research will be a thesis paper that I hope will be part of a larger research project to potentially validate self-diagnosis as a diagnostic tool to use in adult autism assessments since there is a distinct lack of tools specifically for adult autism diagnosis. I have attached the link to participate below. All information is confidential and cannot be traced back to participants as we will be taking no identifying information.

Anyone who is 18 years or older, lives in the United States, and identifies as autistic is eligible to participate. This is an online survey and should take around 5 minutes to complete. If you have any concerns, feel free to message me.

Link to the consent form to participate and survey:

https://qualtricsxmbsl5flyf5.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eEvvZfdNrIRfWJw

IRB information: Protocol# 0066-26 entitled: “What Differences Exist Between Clinically Diagnosed and Self-Diagnosed Autistic Adults?” Survey will be available Until August 2026. The name and contact email of the lead researcher is Kristen Lott, [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

"I have come to believe that all research is driven by values, and instead it is not the presence of values which biases research, but instead the transparency of said values." 

Sharing this thought provoking, autoethnographic piece from Monique Botha to encourage discussion here. The author writes:

"In this article, I want to open the door to discussing knowledge production, and what it means to do research into autism. As involvement of autistic people is hopefully increasing in research, blunt and open conversation is needed to address how autistic involvement is received, and whether the field is hospitable for us. As such, I publish this in the hope that it contributes to a conversation on what is needed to ensure equal engagement in research from autistic people in the field of autism research."

It's a long read, but well worth it if you're interested in the nature of research and knowledge production!

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727542/full

Botha M (2021) Academic, Activist, or Advocate? Angry, Entangled, and Emerging: A Critical Reflection on Autism Knowledge Production. Front. Psychol. 12:727542. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727542

Hello Everyone! This is my first post. Before I start I would like to say any support helps!

I was diagnosed with Adhd combined type as of last year in June and have dealt with Cluttering speech disorder since a kid and still deal with it. Although I do have reason to believe I struggle with ASD as well. Below are ASD/AuDHD specific traits I align with! Also sorry for the weird formatting below, I have to do this or else I physically feel uncomfortable.

• I have to plan every hour of my day!!! I absolutely hate being spontaneous and I get extremely frustrated and overwhelmed if it doesn't stick to plan (which it doesn't) because of my ADHD. 
• I am hyper tactile to textures, clothes and everything. Just thinking about the sand getting in my clothes actually is overwhelming. I would like to stay clean, or just be in the beach without sand getting in!!
• I am also hyper sensitive to sunlight or light in general, I genuinely cannot go outside without squinting every minute because it’s that bright, I physically cannot force myself to open my eyes for longer than 2 seconds. 
• I love to talk to animals and inanimate objects and make them my friends :)
• I’m very based on routine with food, I ate the same plate of chicken and rice twice a day for 3 months. LOL
• I tear up when someone is emotional or putting their all into something!! For example if someone is doing something they love so passionately, like an anime fight where someone has an epic battle and saves someone id probably tear up. (All might vs Nomu)
• I stick to rules like my life depends on it, although I don't conform to societal norms due to my ADHD.
• I would rather stick to what I'm familiar with and what I know, I didn't try new foods or go on rollercoasters till I was about 16 / 17. I also don't mix my foods at all!! Textures CANNOT collide with each other, exactly why I get a plain cheeseburger. If the patty and cheese is soft, why would you want something crunchy messing up the soft texture. doesn't make any sense.
• I’m locked into my work when I’m hyper focused, bye bye time. 

but yeah, I'm definitely missing a lot I can't think of on the top of my head but let me know if there's any relatable traits please!!!

EDIT: Hey I forgot a few things to include!

• I wouldn't say I rehearse conversations all the time but sometimes I do (when I would be really nervous like asking out a girl). Although I do have to manually think about what I have to talk about, feeling like it's hard to keep a conversation and it feels 'fake'.
• I also avoid most social gatherings and small rooms with loud people is very disorienting, and also having too much going on if I'm not hyperactive in the moment also feels like a lot and its draining.
• I also pull out some of my hair from day to day and pick and bite my skin and nails, have been since a kid.
• I always have to lean against objects which feels like necessity, whether if I'm standing or sitting. And I always have weird positions when I'm sitting, I can never keep my body straight.

Hi! I need advice on where to begin about
getting an autism/adhd assessment? I want to be seen by a clinical psychologist who really understands how both can present in women. Any tips or referrals? I live in U.S. California, Thanks!

"Emotion regulation is not an individual deficit. In fact, distress responses should be understood within the context of young people's experiences of masking, feeling under pressure and feeling alienated.

Distress often arises through the way neurodivergent people experience their environments. We shouldn't ask children to adapt to schools, we should create school environments where they feel safe, understood and able to belong."

—Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou

"The distress and less solution-focused responses are likely to be from years of hostile or non-supportive interactions. This can make autistic and ADHD young people struggle to trust.

"We have to intervene much earlier to create environments that nurture agency, self-worth and self-confidence."

—Dr Edmund Sonuga-Barke

***

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study with 732 adolescents.

They compared neurodivergent and neurotypical students' experiences.

They worked with neurodivergent adolescents and young adults to develop a questionnaire. This included adapting statements from interviews with young people, as well as feedback sessions where they reviewed drafts, suggested refinements and helped validate the language used to describe responses to upsetting school events.

The final questionnaire measured 20 different expressions of distress. It captured how likely they are to respond in a certain way after being upset.

The findings

Students with ADHD, and AuDHD students with dual diagnosis, were more likely to respond with outward signs of distress (like shouting, storming off or getting into an argument). Autistic-only students also responded outwardly, but they did so less often than students with ADHD.

Students with ADHD, either alone or also autistic, were less likely than autistic-only and neurotypical peers to show solution-focused responses (talking to an adult, looking for explanations or using 'learnt' strategies to manage feelings).

All neurodivergent students were more likely to respond with inward signs of distress like withdrawing, hiding feelings, feeling physically sick or hurting themselves.

For both neurotypical and neurodivergent students alike, inward responses to distress were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression.

For ADHD students, solution-focused responses were associated with lower anxiety. These include talking to an adult, looking for explanations or using 'learnt' strategies to manage feelings.

***

Lukito, S., Chandler, S., Kakoulidou, M. et al. Autistic and ADHD adolescents respond differently to upset in school: evidence from a new questionnaire co-designed from the neurodivergent point of view. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-026-03073-9

***

Research summary from Anna Freud (https://www.annafreud.org/)