Short answer: There is no official AuDHD test, because AuDHD is not a single diagnosis. It means meeting the criteria for both autism and ADHD, and only a clinician can assess that. This free 20-question self-check covers ADHD traits, autistic traits, the push-pull between them and your life history. It shows whether your experience fits the pattern and gives you something concrete to bring to an appointment.
What is an AuDHD test?
An AuDHD test is a self-check that looks for traits of autism and ADHD in the same person, and for the way the two interact. AuDHD is the community word for being autistic and ADHD at the same time. You will not find it in a diagnostic manual; a clinician who agrees would write two diagnoses. If the word is new to you, start with our explainer, What is AuDHD?, then come back.
The overlap is common. A meta-analysis in The Lancet Psychiatry found that about 28 percent of autistic people also have ADHD (Lai et al., 2019), and a review of studies on young people with ADHD found about 21 percent met the threshold for autism (Hollingdale et al., 2020). So if one diagnosis has only ever explained half of you, you are asking a reasonable question.
What makes AuDHD hard to spot is that the two can hide each other. The autistic half wants routine and sameness. The ADHD half wants novelty and speed. Put them in one person and each can make the other look milder. That is why this self-check has a whole group of questions about the push-pull, which most single-condition quizzes skip.
How does this AuDHD self-check compare with a real screener or assessment?
This page is not a validated screening tool and it is not a diagnosis. Here is where it sits next to the things clinicians use.
| Tool | What it is | Who uses it | Can it diagnose? |
|---|---|---|---|
| This 20-question self-check | A reflection tool covering both halves and how they interact | You, before an appointment | No |
| ASRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) | 18 questions on adult ADHD symptoms, with a 6-question screener | Clinicians and researchers, sometimes self-administered | No, it screens |
| AQ (Autism-Spectrum Quotient) | 50 questions measuring autistic traits | Clinicians and researchers | No, it screens |
| RAADS-R | 80 questions designed to support autism assessment in adults | Clinicians, as one part of an assessment | No, it supports assessment |
| Full clinical assessment | Interviews, history, questionnaires and observation | Psychiatrists, psychologists and other qualified clinicians | Yes |
Before you start
Answer for your life in general over the past year, not your worst week. For each statement, choose never, sometimes or often. Score never as 0, sometimes as 1 and often as 2. If you were a very different person as a child, answer for now, and notice the difference; group four asks about childhood separately.
If a question makes you pause, think of a real example from the last month. If you can find one easily, that is probably "often."
You may want to save or print these 20 questions and your answers to take to an appointment.
The 20 questions
1. ADHD traits (Mango's questions)
1. I lose track of time so completely that I am late or miss things, even when they matter to me.
2. I start tasks with energy and leave a trail of half-finished projects behind me.
3. My attention goes where it wants. Boring tasks feel physically hard to start, and interesting ones can swallow a whole day.
4. I act or speak before thinking it through: interrupting, impulse buys, saying yes too fast.
5. I feel restless inside even when I look still, and I fidget, pace or need background noise to settle.
2. Autistic traits (Coffee's questions)
6. Sounds, lights, textures or smells that other people ignore can overwhelm me or make it hard to think.
7. Social situations feel like work. I study how people act, rehearse conversations, or need time alone to recover afterward.
8. Unexpected changes to plans throw me off far more than they seem to affect others.
9. I have deep, focused interests that I return to for years and can talk about at length.
10. I take words literally or miss what people meant "between the lines," and only realize later.
3. The push-pull (both cats in one house)
11. I crave routine and structure, then get bored of my own routine and break it.
12. I can be overstimulated and understimulated in the same hour: the room is too loud, and I am also restless because nothing in it is interesting.
13. I plan things in great detail and still forget basic things, like keys, a wallet or the appointment itself.
14. I want spontaneity and new experiences, but surprises and last-minute changes leave me drained.
15. I am "all in" or completely absent, with very little in between, and I cannot choose when the switch happens.
4. Your life history
16. As a child, teachers or family described me as dreamy, intense, "too much," overly sensitive, or a mix of these.
17. I have been treated for anxiety, depression or burnout, and it felt like the real explanation was still missing.
18. I have a diagnosis of autism or ADHD, and it only explains part of my experience.
19. A close family member has a diagnosis of autism or ADHD, or I strongly suspect one of them is autistic or ADHD.
20. I have spent years copying other people, hiding my reactions, or working twice as hard to look "normal," and it has cost me energy or health.
How do you score the AuDHD test?
Add your scores in each group of five separately first. Each group runs from 0 to 10. Then add the four groups together for a total from 0 to 40. The group scores matter more than the total, because AuDHD is about both halves showing up, not one half showing up a lot.
What do your answers mean?
These bands describe common patterns, not rules. None of them is a diagnosis, and none of them rules anything in or out.
Total 0 to 12: few traits on this list
Your answers suggest these traits are not a big part of your daily life. Everyone recognizes a few of them; that is normal. If you came here because something is still clearly wrong, such as exhaustion, low mood or constant overwhelm, that matters on its own, and a doctor is still the right person to talk to.
Total 13 to 24: some of the pattern, worth a closer look
You recognize a fair number of these experiences. Look at your group scores. If one group is high and the others are low, your experience may lean toward one side, and the right next step is learning more about that side. If groups one and two are both 4 or above, you are seeing traits from both halves, and it is worth keeping notes and reading further. Our list of signs you might be AuDHD goes into each sign in more detail.
Total 25 to 40: a strong match with the AuDHD pattern
Many of these statements describe you, often. This does not mean you are AuDHD. Anxiety, trauma, depression, burnout and other conditions can raise scores on lists like this. It does mean your experience lines up closely with how autistic ADHD adults describe their lives, and a proper assessment is a reasonable next step. Bring this page with you.
Reading your group scores
A high score in group three, the push-pull, is the most AuDHD-specific signal on this page. People with only ADHD or only autism usually recognize some of those statements, but the constant tug between needing sameness and needing novelty is what AuDHD adults describe most. A high score in group four, especially questions 17, 18 and 20, often points to years of masking or a missed diagnosis. If you are a woman and you scored high here, read AuDHD in women; the pattern is often missed for longer.
What should you do after the self-check?
A score is a starting point. What you do with it in the next week matters more than the number. We run AuDHD Feed (@audhd_feed), ADHD Today (@adhd_today) and Autism Feed (@autism_feed), part of a family of neurodivergent pages reaching more than two million followers, and the most common thing we hear after people take a quiz like this is "now what?" Here is the order that tends to work.
1. Write one real example for every "often"
Clinicians need specifics, not scores. "I missed my sister's birthday dinner because I started reorganizing my desk at 4 p.m. and looked up at 8" is something a clinician can work with.
2. Map how the two halves interact
This is where most people get stuck, because nobody gave them language for it. You know you crave routine and also break it, but saying that out loud in a short appointment is hard. A structured way to map your traits and the push-pull between them will help you more than retaking quizzes.
That is exactly what The AuDHD Curiosity Workbook is for, and it is the natural next step after this page. It is ours. It is 52 pages covering ADHD and autism trait exploration, shared AuDHD experiences, push-pull dynamics, reflection prompts and pattern mapping. Where this self-check asks 20 quick questions, the workbook asks you to slow down and write your own examples, which is the part that makes an appointment useful. It is not diagnostic, and it says so. $13.
The AuDHD Curiosity Workbook (ours)
52 pages of reflection prompts and pattern mapping to explore your ADHD and autistic traits and the push-pull between them. Not a diagnosis, a way to understand yourself.
$13, instant download Get the workbook
3. Gather your history
Ask a parent or older relative what you were like as a child, if that is safe for you. Find old school reports. Note any past diagnoses and treatments. Autism and ADHD are both developmental, so assessors usually want evidence from childhood as well as now.
4. Book an assessment with someone who sees adults
Look for a psychiatrist, psychologist or other qualified clinician who assesses adults, and ask whether they assess for both autism and ADHD. Some clinics only do one. If you already have one diagnosis, ask your current clinician whether the other is worth exploring.
Which validated screeners exist for ADHD and autism?
Real screening questionnaires exist for each condition on its own. This page is not one of them, but it helps to know their names, because a clinician may hand you one.
For ADHD, the most widely used adult screener is the World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, or ASRS. It has 18 questions about how often you have had adult ADHD symptoms recently. In the original validation study, a short six-question version matched blind clinical ratings better than the full 18 questions (Kessler et al., 2005).
For autism, two are common. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient, or AQ, is a 50-question self-report scored from 0 to 50. In the first study, 80 percent of autistic adults scored 32 or more, compared with 2 percent of controls, though the authors said its use for screening still needed more work (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001). The RAADS-R is an 80-question scale built to support autism assessment in adults, described by its authors as a useful addition to a diagnostic workup (Ritvo et al., 2011).
Why can't an online quiz tell you if you are AuDHD?
Even validated screeners struggle with adults in real clinics. A Dutch study of 210 adults referred for autism assessment tested the RAADS-R and two short versions of the AQ. All three performed well below their published figures, and the authors concluded none was valid enough to reliably predict an autism diagnosis in that setting (Sizoo et al., 2015).
The overlap makes it harder again. In a study of 153 adults referred for ADHD assessment, the AQ was a weak guide to who was also autistic: fewer than half of those it flagged met autism criteria. The more severe someone's attention problems, the more likely the AQ was to wrongly flag them as autistic (Bemmouna et al., 2022). In plain terms, ADHD can make an autism questionnaire light up, and autism can do the same in reverse. That is the AuDHD problem in one finding, and it is why only a full assessment can separate the two.
Masking adds another layer. Many adults, especially women, learned to hide traits so well that they answer questionnaires the way they have trained themselves to appear. If that sounds familiar, read our page on autistic masking before your appointment.
Is self-identifying as AuDHD valid?
Plenty of adults identify as AuDHD before, or without, a formal diagnosis. Assessments can be expensive and waitlists long, and that is a personal choice we respect. A diagnosis still matters for workplace accommodations, access to ADHD medication and ruling out other explanations, so if any of those matter to you, a self-check is the beginning of the process, not the end.
Where to go from here
If your answers surprised you, give yourself a day before deciding anything. A high score can bring relief and grief at the same time, and both are normal.
If you want a guided way to do that mapping, The AuDHD Curiosity Workbook ($13) picks up where this self-check stops: trait exploration for both halves, the push-pull, reflection prompts and pattern mapping, in a fillable PDF you can bring to your assessment. It is ours, it is not a diagnosis, and it was written for exactly the person who has just finished these 20 questions and wants to understand what they mean.
The Everything AuDHD Bundle (ours)
Every workbook we make in one download, plus every new one we add, for life. One payment, no subscription.
$59, instant download Get the bundle
This page is information, not medical advice. This self-check is not a diagnostic or validated screening tool. For an assessment, talk to a qualified clinician.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official AuDHD test?
No. AuDHD is not a single diagnosis, so there is no official AuDHD test. A clinician assesses autism and ADHD separately and can diagnose both in the same person. Validated screeners exist for each condition, such as the ASRS for ADHD and the AQ or RAADS-R for autism, but none of them diagnoses anything on its own.
How do I know if I have AuDHD?
The only way to know is a clinical assessment for both autism and ADHD. Before that, signs that point toward AuDHD include traits from both sides plus a constant tug between them: needing routine but getting bored of it, or planning in detail and still forgetting basics. A self-check like this one helps you organize what you notice.
Can you be diagnosed with both autism and ADHD?
Yes. Since the DSM-5 in 2013, clinicians in the United States can diagnose autism and ADHD in the same person. Before that, an autism diagnosis ruled out ADHD. Research suggests about 28 percent of autistic people also have ADHD, so the combination is common rather than rare.
What does a high score on this AuDHD test mean?
A total of 25 or more means your experience closely matches how AuDHD adults describe their lives. It does not mean you are AuDHD, because anxiety, trauma, depression and burnout can raise scores too. Treat a high score as a good reason to book an assessment and bring your answers and examples with you.
Is the AQ or RAADS-R test accurate for AuDHD?
They are useful but limited. In studies of adults referred to clinics, both performed worse than their original figures. In one study of adults referred for ADHD, the AQ often flagged people as autistic who were not, especially when attention problems were severe. ADHD and autism traits overlap on these questionnaires, which is why assessment matters.
What is the ASRS test for ADHD?
The ASRS, or Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, is a World Health Organization questionnaire with 18 questions about how often you have had adult ADHD symptoms recently. A six-question version is often used as a quick screener. A positive result suggests a full assessment is worthwhile; it does not confirm ADHD.
Who can diagnose AuDHD in adults?
A psychiatrist, psychologist or other qualified clinician who assesses adults can diagnose autism and ADHD. Not every clinician assesses both, so ask before you book. If you already have one diagnosis, your current clinician can often advise whether an assessment for the other is worth pursuing.
What should I bring to an AuDHD assessment?
Bring real examples of your traits from daily life, notes on what you were like as a child, school reports if you have them, any past diagnoses and treatments, and your answers to a self-check like this one. A workbook such as The AuDHD Curiosity Workbook can help you gather and organize these beforehand.
Sources
Lai MC, Kassee C, Besney R, et al. Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30289-5
Hollingdale J, Woodhouse E, Young S, Fridman A, Mandy W. Autistic spectrum disorder symptoms in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analytical review. Psychological Medicine, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719002368
Kessler RC, Adler L, Ames M, et al. The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychological Medicine, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291704002892
Baron-Cohen S, Wheelwright S, Skinner R, Martin J, Clubley E. The autism-spectrum quotient (AQ): evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism, males and females, scientists and mathematicians. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1005653411471
Ritvo RA, Ritvo ER, Guthrie D, et al. The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R): a scale to assist the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in adults: an international validation study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1133-5
Sizoo BB, Horwitz EH, Teunisse JP, et al. Predictive validity of self-report questionnaires in the assessment of autism spectrum disorders in adults. Autism, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315589869
Bemmouna D, Weibel S, Kosel M, Hasler R, Weiner L, Perroud N. The utility of the autism-spectrum quotient to screen for autism spectrum disorder in adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatry Research, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114580