Addressing Co-Occurring ADHD and Autism, With Lauren Kenworthy, PhD

For the 2026 conference of the American Professional Society for ADHD and Related Disorders, Psychiatric Times talked with Lauren Kenworthy, PhD, surrounding comorbid ADHD and autism. Kenworthy presented to the conference on this topic, covering clinical tips and important research advancements. See our reporting on APSARD 2026 here.

Psychiatric Times: What is a piece of advice you would offer to clinicians treating autism?

Lauren Kenworthy, PhD: There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for autism.It is a truly heterogeneous condition, so you need to know your client’s strengths, interests, communication skills and strategies as well the challenge they want help with. It is not always about “fixing the client”; consider whether the client needs to be treated or the client’s setting can be altered to better fit their profile. Consider whether the client is getting adequate visual supports and structure regarding transitions at school and at home before medicating a client for example. Prioritize communication. Is the client able to effectively communicate their needs and wants? If not, is augmentative and alternative communication needed, or a speech and language consultation?

PT: What makes patients with comorbid autism and ADHD unique?

Dr Kenworthy: Co-occurring conditions add load. If your patient has autism and ADHD, research indicates they may have heightened challenges showing what they know through real-world adaptive behavior and daily living skills. Co-occurring conditions also add load for the clinician, who needs to understand the impacts of both conditions on the patient’s functioning. For example, and autistic person with ADHD might have impulse control challenges on top of social and repetitive behavior symptoms.

PT: How can clinicians leverage your field of research in helping children with ADHD and autism?

Dr Kenworthy: Neuropsychological assessments define individual strengths as well as challenges. They can increase understanding of a patient’s behavior. For example, is there a processing, linguistic, or cognitive “can’t” that is appearing to be a behavioral choice the patient is making? This helps patient’s families, schools, and clinicians better understand the logic of behaviors and how to increase supports or treatments when needed. Neuropsychological assessments often provide a game plan for school and psychotherapy-based treatments that a family can follow.

PT: What is something that often goes overlooked in ADHD-autism research and/or treatment?

Dr Kenworthy: Gender differences in these conditions often get overlooked. The role of the client’s environment or setting in driving behavior and the importance of accommodations and supports for equitable access to school and other settings.

PT: What do you hope to see in the future of ADHD or autism research?

Dr Kenworthy: I hope to see more application of community-based participatory research techniques to ensure that the research we do is targeting questions that are of importance to the neurodivergent community.

PT: Thank you!

Dr Kenworthy is a researcher and psychologist at the Center for Autism at Children’s National Hospital.