AuDHD: Blooming Differently

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.

Praise for AuDHD: Blooming Differently

"This is the book the AuDHD community desperately needs, a true savour! So many 'that's me' and 'I wish I knew this sooner!' moments. Amazing!" - Alex Partridge, ADHD Chatter

“This is a comprehensive and compassionate guide that shines a wonderful, rainbow-coloured light on what it means to be an AuDHDer. It will likely save some lives.” - Dr Becky Quicke, Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Autistic Girls

"Finally, a book that truly highlights the interconnectedness of neurodivergent neurotypes! Leanne Maskell offers a vital AuDHD lens, sharing life-saving insights, practical tips, and deeply personal experiences of being both Autistic and ADHD—an experience where many medical and educational institutions are only just beginning to connect the dots.

When I was in a monotropic flow, devouring books for answers to 'Am I autistic?' and 'Do I have ADHD?', I craved lived-experience stories like this. This book would have provided the tools to trust my own ability to identify my neurodivergence, whilst providing an invaluable heads-up to the diagnosis and medication journey ahead - ultimately, empowering me toward self-advocacy and self-acceptance.

If you’re AuDHD, this book will make you cry tears of validation and truth, for your past self, and for the future you can now envision. A must-read for the neurodivergent community and for anyone who knows, loves, or seeks to support an ND person - which is everyone!" - Karyma Ellis, Founder of MAKES SENSE TO ME The Neurodivergent Bookshop