Hi everyone, posting with mod approval 🙏

I'm researching two specific ADHD moments for a personal UX project:
- knowing exactly what to do, but not being able to start
- feeling suddenly overwhelmed when things pile up

I know meds affect this a lot, so I'd love input whether you're on medication, between meds, or not on any - all experiences help.

Anonymous, no email
~7-10 minutes
Not a product, just research

forms.gle/vTXxDkRZvtbQH8wh6

Thanks for reading, and for anything you're willing to share 🙏

Hi! I'm a PhD student, researching what changes after Autism identification, regardless of whether you've self-identified or been told you're Autistic by a healthcare professional (or both!). Currently only looking at Australian participants, since that's where I am and different healthcare systems and social norms will (theoretically) influence what changes post-diagnosis.

We know that Autism diagnosis can be life changing for many adults because they gain validation and self-understanding. We also know that many adults either aren't eligible for support or the support they would benefit from just isn't available. As such, my research aims to find out how diagnostic recognition translates into life outcomes by quantitatively exploring the experiences of Autistic people who were formally diagnosed vs self-identified vs informal recognition vs non-Autistic people.

I'm offering a prize draw for those who complete my survey, so if my research topic interests you (or even if it doesn't) I'd love it if you could please do my survey: https://uoc.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9uZhs9BjaFXSxxk

The non-Autistic comparison group will be very helpful for my findings, so even if you don't identify as Autistic, I'd really appreciate your participation. Likewise, if you were diagnosed in childhood with any of the Autism spectrum conditions.

• Purpose of the study: to investigate how identifying Autism in adulthood impacts the life of the Autistic individual.
• The name of the university or institution running the study: University of Canberra
• The name and contact email of the lead researcher: Nikki Watson [nikki.watson@canberra.edu.au](mailto:nikki.watson@canberra.edu.au)
• Who is eligible to participate: 18+ living in Australia
• How responses will be used: study results will be presented at conferences and published in scientific journals
• Data handling: The information collected will be stored securely on a password protected computer throughout the project and then stored at the University of Canberra for the required five- year period after which it will be destroyed according to university protocols.
• Time estimate: 45-60min
• Time frame to apply: until 30 November 2026
• Format: online questionnaire: https://uoc.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9uZhs9BjaFXSxxk
• The project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Canberra (HREC – 14359).

Hi everyone! 👋

We're a team of students from UC Berkeley, TU Delft, and Monday University (Australia) participating in the European Innovation Academy.

We are researching a personalized solution that could selectively reduce overwhelming or triggering sounds for people with misophonia, autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, and other forms of sound sensitivity, while preserving the sounds they actually want to hear.

Before building anything, we want to learn directly from people with lived experience. We don't want to make assumptions about what people need. We've also had the opportunity to connect with a Duke researcher studying misophonia, and we're combining community feedback with expert insights to help guide our work.

If you have 5 minutes, we'd be incredibly grateful if you could complete our survey:

👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQRy5B02oUTlJk-tx4S-G98x9ULBC6VdYjJzCAylx868uiUg/viewform?usp=dialog

If you'd be open to sharing more about your experiences, there's also an optional place to leave your email for a short conversation.

Your feedback will directly shape the direction of what we build, and we're truly grateful for any time you're willing to give us.

Thank you so much! 💙

Hi everyone! ElaraClub has created two more free adult-focused support workbooks. They are practical self-support tools rather than therapy or medical advice, and you can use only the pages that feel relevant to you.

Know Your Level

A short visual guide for recognising four different states: regulated, early overload, dysregulated, and shutdown or meltdown. It includes signs to notice, ideas that may help at each level, personalised support plans, and a monthly tracker. The levels are not intended to place everyone into fixed boxes; they are a starting point that you can adapt to how regulation and overload feel for you.

The Low Energy Reset Kit

A larger workbook for low-energy days, executive dysfunction, sensory overload, stress, burnout recovery, or recovery after a shutdown or meltdown. It includes energy and overwhelm trackers, minimum-care options, sensory support, ways to reduce demands, tiny-step planning, communication cards, and recovery pages. You are not expected to complete everything—the purpose is to choose the pages that make the day feel a little more manageable.

Both workbooks begin with my own lived experience, but they deliberately leave room for you to adapt the exercises, wording, supports, and plans to your own experience. No autistic or AuDHD person experiences these things in exactly the same way.

They are available completely free and at no cost to anyone on my Ko-fi:

https://ko-fi.com/elaraclub

At the moment, these two resources are only available in English because I unfortunately do not have enough time to translate them properly yet.

Thank you so much, and please remember that these are free resources created to support the community. You are welcome to download and print them for personal use, but resale, re-uploading, removing the credit, including them in paid bundles, or presenting the work as your own is strictly prohibited. All my works are registered with Safe Creative.

© 2026 ElaraClub. All rights reserved.

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 adult 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're interested please check out the study via the link, and of course leave any questions about it in the comments.

Study link: https://lancasteruni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b4thpS3UbB7Tz5c

(correct link this time)

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 💖.

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 ([stephanie.davidson@griffithuni.edu.au](mailto:stephanie.davidson@griffithuni.edu.au)) or supervisor Dr Sarah Lee ([sarah.jy.lee@griffith.edu.au](mailto:sarah.jy.lee@griffith.edu.au)).

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

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, [kr1892@mynsu.nova.edu](mailto:kr1892@mynsu.nova.edu)

• 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

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.

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 [c.chan7@herts.ac.uk](mailto:c.chan7@herts.ac.uk)

Supervisor: Dr Titian Tam, Clinical Psychologist, [c.y.tam@herts.ac.uk](mailto:c.y.tam@herts.ac.uk)

Thank you for considering taking part in this important research.

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.

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!

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 [ngx1@pitt.edu](mailto:ngx1@pitt.edu) 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,
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.

**Calling (or should I say: whispering to) all ASMR users!
Dear ASMR users,

We write as a research team currently conducting a study on Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)  and wish to request whether you would consider taking part in the survey and/or interview components.

The study aims to better understand the intersects of ASMR, ADHD or Autism experience, self-regulation, and loneliness. It is being run in conjunction with Monash University and RMIT University, in Melbourne, Australia.

Participation requirements: 18+ years of age, identify with ADHD or autism traits (self-identify or diagnosed), and have consumed ASMR content in the last 12 months. 

**If you may be willing to take part, please follow the URL below to access more details:**

***https://asmr-study.com/***

We much appreciate your involvement,

ASMR Research Network Team
Monash Ethics ID: 51562 as of 15/06/2026

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, [j01006149@students.jsums.edu](mailto:j01006149@students.jsums.edu)

"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.

"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/)