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This is possible. When I was diagnosed, it was autism masking ADHD (apparently the other way around is more common though) because I have all the ADHD issues with everything except my special interest. I was told that ADHD more commonly masks autism though, so it's certainly worth exploring the possibility.


The “able to function normally for special interest” is a symptom of ADHD itself, there is no need to bring in autism as an additional explanatory variable. (Not saying your autism didn’t mask symptoms but what you described happens in ADHD without autism very frequently)

For example I have ADHD without autism and grew up thinking I was “smart but lazy” because I was > 99% as far as raw intelligence but had little motivation for the drudgery associated with school (or indeed life itself), yet I could play video games for hours straight without seeming to be at a disadvantage compared to neurotypical peers.

This is because ADHD, among other things, is a disorder of attention regulation as opposed to being completely unable to pay attention to anything.


Hyper focus is a cool super power of adhd.


So cool that you routinely don't do the dishes, laundry, rubbish, childcare or gardening because you're way too in the zone.

It's cool af if you're young and single and you can just go and go and go on what it is that you're totally wrapped up in. It's shite when you grow up a little and other people have expectations of you and you constantly fail to meet them.




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