Book overview
Living with AuDHD is like being a unicorn-misunderstood, contradictory, and often invisible to others. You shine with creativity and innovation, but struggle to fit in - always feeling 'too much'. Autism and ADHD pull you in opposite directions, creating a lifetime of contradictions no one else can see.
AuDHD isn't listed in diagnostic manuals because until 2013, you couldn't be diagnosed with both conditions - despite a co-occurrence rate of approximately 50-70%. These two neurotypes often clash, like opposing magnets in the brain.
- ADHD craves novelty; autism resists change.
- ADHD misses details; autism hyper-focuses on them.
- ADHD perceives time as 'now or not now'; autism sticks rigidly to schedules.
- ADHD seeks stimulation; autism is easily overwhelmed.
- ADHD thrives in chaos; autism needs structure.
- ADHD says yes; autism says no.
- Autism makes the rules, ADHD breaks them.
- If you're exhausted reading this, just imagine what it's like to live it.
Leanne Maskell was diagnosed with ADHD at 25, but it took 7 more years to learn she was also autistic. AuDHD: Blooming Differently chronicles her turbulent journey-from a childhood of vulnerability and trauma to a high-achieving model and lawyer, outwardly successful but inwardly struggling.
The book exposes the relentless burnout of not understanding your brain and the power of self-awareness in finally thriving. Today, Leanne is a successful author, coach, and National Specialist Coach of the Year.
More than just a memoir, this book offers practical insights for AuDHD individuals and those who support them-essential for psychiatrists, educators, and anyone seeking to understand neurodivergence.
With lived experience and professional expertise, AuDHD: Blooming Differently is an honest and transformative guide to rewriting the neurodivergent narrative.
