Neurodivergent Insights with Dr. Megan Anna Neff

If you’ve been told “it’s just ADHD,” there may be autistic traits hiding in plain sight under AuDHD. In this episode, I walk through six ways ADHD can overshadow autism in AuDHD adults, and what that actually feels like in everyday life.
Whether you’re a neurodivergent adult or a clinician, we explore how diagnostic overshadowing shows up in real life and why so many AuDHD adults, especially women and marginalized folks, don’t get the full autistic picture until later in life.
Read the companion article and resources:
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/adhd-hides-autism
In this episode, we cover:
Why social struggles get read as “just impulsive” or “ADHD social skills issues” instead of autistic communication differences

How sensory seeking and sensory overload get filed under ADHD “hyperactivity” instead of autistic sensory processing

Executive function differences that go deeper than ADHD alone, especially in AuDHD adults juggling multiple roles

Emotional responses to change being misread as “poor frustration tolerance” instead of autistic need for predictability and transition support

Special interests being collapsed into “ADHD hyperfocus,” hiding autistic passion, depth, and pattern‑seeking

How masking uses ADHD traits to cover autistic traits, and what unmasking can look like for AuDHD

This episode is for education only. It is not medical advice and is not therapy.
More from Neurodivergent Insights:
Weekly newsletter and resource vault: https://newsletter.neurodivergentinsights.com/resource-vault

Self-Care for Autistic People: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care-for-autistic-people/

The Autistic Burnout Workbook: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/autistic-burnout-workbook/

Workbooks and tools: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/workbook/

Trainings: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/trainings/

Website: https://neurodivergentinsights.com

#AuDHD, ADHD, autism, diagnostic overshadowing, adult neurodivergence

AuDHD is a community-created identity term for people who are both autistic and ADHD. In this episode, Dr. Megan Anna Neff—ADHD and Autistic clinical psychologist, founder of Neurodivergent Insights, and author of Self Care for Autistic People and The Autistic Burnout Workbook—explains what AuDHD means, why it isn’t a formal DSM diagnosis, and why so many people describe discovering the term as a “lightbulb moment.”

You’ll learn why AuDHD isn’t simply “ADHD + autism,” but a dynamic interplay that can create a familiar “push–pull”: structure vs novelty, quiet solitude vs loud impulsivity, deep focus vs overwhelm with “pingy thoughts,” and more. Dr. Neff also shares why language matters—how naming our experience can reduce shame and increase self-compassion—and what’s coming next in future Neurodivergent Insights episodes on diagnosis, burnout, energy, and daily life.

Follow/subscribe to Neurodivergent Insights for more conversations on AuDHD, autism, ADHD, and neurodivergent education and resources.

Note: This episode is educational and not medical advice.

Have you ever been so overwhelmed you know you need self-care… but choosing what to do feels impossible?
In this episode, Dr. Megan Anna Neff (Autistic-ADHD clinical psychologist) and Brett from Neurodivergent Insights talk about why autistic self-care is different—especially for late-discovered autistic adults—and how to build support that works in the moment, not just in theory.

We also dig into Dr. Neff’s newest release, Self-Care Activities for Autistic People, a card deck of 100 step-by-step exercises designed to reduce decision fatigue and executive function load—so you can reach for something supportive right now.

You can learn more about the new card deck here: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care-for-autistic-people-card-deck/?srsltid=AfmBOoqYaJIefAKDIK4oo3Og5YaFMNzwX56mX5FIcVcRAOd0R6QXveAJ

n this episode, we cover:

Why self-care can feel impossible when you’re overwhelmed
What autistic self-care really means (and why generic advice often fails)
How to use a step-by-step approach to reduce decision fatigue
Ways to build a small “go-to” stack for burnout, anxiety, and overstimulation
Relearning how to trust your body’s signals—on your terms
Dr. Megan Anna Neff (she/they) is an Autistic-ADHD clinical psychologist who blends research, clinical insight, and lived experience to make sense of adult neurodivergence. She creates clear, compassionate, neurodivergent-affirming education for autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD adults, and for the clinicians who support them.Each video offers practical tools, grounded explanations, and honest conversations about sensory health, burnout, masking, identity, and everyday neurodivergent life, living with ADHD and Autism.
Learn more and sign up for our newsletter at: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/

If mindfulness has ever made you feel foggy, sleepy, restless, or more activated, this episode is for you.

In Part 2 of our conversation on Mindfulness and being Neurodivergent, Brett and Dr. Megan Anna Neff (creator of Neurodivergent Insights) explain why mindfulness can be uniquely challenging for neurodivergent people—especially ADHD—and how it often comes down to arousal dysregulation.
For many ADHDers, being still can nudge the nervous system toward hypoarousal (foggy, checked out, shut down), and the body compensates by fidgeting, tapping, or seeking stimulation just to get back online.

Then we get practical with Mindfulness on the Go—ways to build mindfulness that work with your nervous system: movement, music, walking, and tactile options, without pressure to do it perfectly.

In this episode, we cover:

Why stillness can backfire for ADHD and neurodivergent nervous systems
What hypoarousal can look like in everyday life
Why fidgeting can be regulation (not failure)
“Mindfulness on the Go”: active approaches that actually work
A simple tool for distance from thoughts: “I’m noticing I’m having the thought…”
Want the foundation first? Part 1 is linked in the show notes.

Links & resources: Add in your show notes (Part 1 link, website, newsletter, recommended resources):
Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated From Anxiety: https://amzn.to/4qYJxffACT Made Simple: An Easy-to-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: https://amzn.to/3NUTBYrPart 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZhVKn78ADENeurodivergentInsights.comNewsletter: https://newsletter.neurodivergentinsi...Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LCaz1g...This video is not medical advice and is not to be considered therapy. 📩 Resources + weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.neurodivergentinsi... • 📚 Dr. Neff’s books: Self-Care for Autistic People: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1507221932?... • The Autistic Burnout Workbook: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/au... • Neurodivergent Insights: https://neurodivergentinsights.com • Trainings: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/tr... • Neurodivergent Insights Workbooks: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/wo...

Spotify Q&A: When you try mindfulness, what happens most—calmer, foggier/sleepier, more restless, or more anxious?

If mindfulness has ever made you feel more anxious, itchy, overwhelmed—or like you’re “doing it wrong”—you’re not alone.
In Part 1, Brett and Dr. Megan Anna Neff (autistic + ADHD clinical psychologist and creator of Neurodivergent Insights) talk about why the most common definition of mindfulness—“empty your mind” or “sit still and force calm”—can be especially distressing for neurodivergent nervous systems.

Together, we reframe mindfulness into something more accessible: shifting from an evaluative mind (judging, fixing, debating) to an observing mind (noticing with curiosity). We also share practical language you can use to create distance from sticky thoughts—without arguing with them.
In this episode, we cover:

Why we're not “empty our mind” (and why it backfires for many ADHDers)
Observing mind vs. evaluative mind
The “fix-it/force-it” trap and how to soften it
A simple phrase that helps: “I’m noticing I’m having the thought…”
Next up: Part 2 drops next week, where we connect mindfulness to ADHD arousal dysregulation and Mindfulness on the Go.

Links & resources:
📌 Resources + links:Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated From Anxiety: https://amzn.to/4qYJxffACT Made Simple: An Easy-to-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: https://amzn.to/3NUTBYrPart 2:    • Mindfulness on the Go: Why Stillness Backf...  NeurodivergentInsights.comNewsletter: https://newsletter.neurodivergentinsi...Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LCaz1g...This video is not medical advice and is not to be considered therapy. 📩 Resources + weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.neurodivergentinsi... • 📚 Dr. Neff’s books: Self-Care for Autistic People: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1507221932?... • The Autistic Burnout Workbook: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/au... • Neurodivergent Insights: https://neurodivergentinsights.com • Trainings: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/tr... • Neurodivergent Insights Workbooks: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/wo...
Spotify Q&A: What part of mindfulness feels hardest for you—stillness, racing thoughts, body sensations, or self-judgment?