What I've noticed are two things. Kids these days if they have school issues, they all "have" ADHD. Then, when they grow up, it might turn out they really had depression, bipolar, ASPD or Asperger's. They seem kind of blind to other options, and think it is all ADHD! It might be changing somewhat, but still.

The other thing is that there is a huge overlap between AS and ADHD. I belong to a forum for AS, and 10 years ago, everyone was "just" AS, now 25 % of them also have a diagnosis of ADHD. I somehow think the spectrum is not just an autism one, I think there is the same spectrum between AS and ADHD.

I was diagnosed as AS as an adult, and later also as ADD. Because I'm over 40, these diagnoses did not exist when I was in school. The only thing that happened if you had academic issues was that you could be held back a year, or you could go to a special small group for the subjects in which you had the most problems. If you had really severe issues you could be branded MBD. So, I never had an explanation for my academic issues.

I knew I was smart. I could just not do things I found boring. Also I could learn to spell by seeing a word once, on the other hand I could not memorize any math shortcuts that we were supposed to know, such as multiplication. The teach was puzzled. If I'm good at A, I should be good at B. When I was 10 we learned cursive and we had a book just for practicing handwriting. Then we had one for creative writing. I was super at creative writing and found it so much fun. My handwriting in it is pretty good for a 10 year old. As for the handwriting book.... we were supposed to just copy text to practice writing. I didn't understand it! What is the point? It is sooo boring! So my handwriting book looked like a total disaster!!! LOL.

I never disturbed class but I often drifted off. Got worse the older I got. When I was in 10th grade all I did was scribbling and drawing when my teach was yapping. Sooo booored.

Special interests is something of AS. I had them mostly when I was a teen. I loved astronomy. But it is said to be typical ADD to not being able to discipline yourself learning something you have no interest in. I couldn't do that. I could stare at pages and nothing stuck in my memory. So in odd ways, there are special interests in ADD as well. I'm not totally sure of the divide.

Also very typical Asperger's is a very uneven skill level. You might be really good in one subject and really bad in another. I'm very bad at math. Even the test staff for Asperger's was surprised I could not add in my head, because i just scored 100 % at language. (And they should KNOW this is common...) Not being able to access a high IQ for doing real things can happen in both AS and ADHD. They both can work way below their IQ.

What sets ADHD and Asperger's apart is social skills. Someone with ADHD can be socially clumsy because of impulses, says something without thinking. People with AS have a more profound deficiency. They have a much harder time relating to others. They sometimes describe themselves as a different species.

However, I AM quite good at the social stuff for being an aspie, so it is easy to be fooled. I have met aspies who are loads worse at the social stuff and loads better at other AS related issues. But I also can relate to being a different species. People are so weird to me. (If someone thinks but hey, Jimi IS quite socially weird here, it is because I feel I shouldn't have to be someone else here, IRL I do pass as normal a lot.)

It was fun reading about your thoughs, Suko. Some of your stuff is so much me. I apologize for being all about me in this post, but we're not allowed to suggest diagnoses here.