Sean C.

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic

Brain study reveals hidden link between autism and ADHD | ScienceDaily (@sciencedaily.com)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260408225941.htm

Brain study reveals hidden link between autism and ADHD

Scientists are uncovering a surprising connection between autism and ADHD that goes deeper than labels. Instead of diagnoses, it’s the severity of autism-like traits that seems to shape how the brain is wired—even in children who don’t officially have autism. The study found that certain brain networks tied to thinking and social behavior stay unusually connected in kids with stronger autism symptoms, hinting at a different developmental path.

ScienceDaily
Apr 14 at 8:34pmPubler
Show threadjosh susser19h ago
@filmfreak75 if that link was so hidden how did all of us autistic and ADHD people know about it for years?
Show threadSean C.18h ago
@joshsusser only autistic myself, but i would imagine like anything, no one cared enough to look before
Show threadMurdoc Addams 🧛🏻 🇨🇦18h ago
@joshsusser @filmfreak75
I assume they mean a link not previously seen biologically, not psychologically like we know about.
Show threadjosh susser18h ago
@murdoc @filmfreak75 fair point. i'll give them "hidden", but i'm digging in my heels on "surprising"
Show threadLooking for explanations…18h ago

@joshsusser @murdoc @filmfreak75

I’m guessing there’s no neurodivergent people on the research team…

Show threadMurdoc Addams 🧛🏻 🇨🇦16h ago
@Susan60 @joshsusser @filmfreak75
Most likely. And since they tend not to listen to us anyway, they have to take the long way around. 🫤
Show threadLooking for explanations…16h ago

@murdoc @joshsusser @filmfreak75

Very long…

Show threadCassian [main]5h ago

@filmfreak75 I replied with this on a QT but I'll put it here too:

This write-up misrepresents the original study, which doesn't investigate a link between autism and ADHD at all. It just got participants from people with autism and ADHD diagnoses, but it only tested based on autistic traits, and ADHD isn't involved at all. It just found that people with stronger autistic traits had a particular brain characteristic. The brain characteristic is associated with particular genes that have been associated with ADHD in another study. All of this adds up to, a bunch of ADHD people are undiagnosed autistic, which is even separate to the goals of this study!