AuDHD burnout: when two attentional styles collide
By Helen Edgar and David Gray-Hammond · From the Re-Storying Autism workbook, Module 5
Autistic and ADHD people (AuDHD) are particularly vulnerable to burnout. ADHD increases impulsivity, urgency, and movement, often pushing the person to continue long after their Autistic side is pleading for rest. This creates a tug-of-war: The ADHD brain says, “Keep following your attention” The Autistic brain says, “Slow down” Caught between these poles, many AuDHD people live in a constant cycle of overextension and collapse like being on constant meerkat mode and hypervigilant. Burnout may become frequent and last even longer. Tanya Adkins' concept of lilipadding becomes especially important here: AuDHD people need even more support navigating micro-transitions and preventing monotropic split. Some ideas that may help: Build in regular micro-rests or movement / sensory breaks and lowdemand pauses between activities/ events, not just at the end of the day.
Use gentle, predictable transitions (timers, warnings, body-based cues, interest-bridging).
Support pacing and energy awareness with visual tools or simple checkins about tiredness and overload.
Protect recovery time after hyperfocus, even when the activity was enjoyable.
Reduce overall demand and transition load by slowing schedules and clustering tasks, creating “lilypad” moments of safety and regulation.
Keep going in the course
This is a short extract. The full lesson in Module 5: Burnout, Overload and Connection includes the video teaching, the rest of the workbook text, reflection questions for parents, carers and Autistic people, and progress tracking.