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.

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