Definition
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental difference in how the brain regulates attention, impulse, and activity. It shows up as difficulty sustaining attention on non-preferred tasks, intense focus on preferred ones, impulsivity, restlessness, and challenges with executive function and time.
Why It Matters
ADHD is one of the most common conditions to co-occur with autism: a 2019 meta-analysis put its pooled prevalence among autistic people at 28 percent, the highest of the conditions studied. It shapes daily life, school, and work in ways that supports and accommodations can meaningfully ease. Recognizing it as a regulation difference, not a character flaw, changes how a person is understood and treated.
Common Misconception
ADHD is not a deficit of attention so much as a difficulty regulating where attention goes, which is why hyperfocus and distractibility can coexist. It is not caused by laziness, poor discipline, or too much screen time.