Overlapping experiences
Attention, impulsivity, sensory overload, anxiety, sleep disruption, and demands on executive functioning can look similar or compound one another.
ADHD & Autism
Psychiatric care when ADHD and autism overlap.
ADHD and autism can occur separately or together. When symptoms overlap with anxiety, sleep problems, mood changes, or behavioral concerns, careful diagnostic formulation can help clarify which difficulties are most important to address and how treatment may fit the individual.
Who this care may be helpful for
Pawar Psychiatry provides evaluation, diagnostic clarification, medication consultation, and medication management for children, adolescents, young adults, and appropriate adult patients in Massachusetts. Care may be useful for a person with ADHD, autism, or both—especially when the clinical picture is complex or prior treatment has not fully addressed the current concerns.
The goal is not simply to attach another label. It is to understand the pattern of strengths and difficulties well enough to make practical, individualized treatment decisions.
Clinical formulation
Understanding what is driving the difficulty.
The same outward concern can have more than one explanation, and that distinction can matter when choosing treatment.
A careful formulation
Evaluation considers development, communication, daily functioning, context, prior assessments, medical history, and response to earlier treatment.
Thoughtful medication planning
When medication is considered, the discussion includes target symptoms, alternatives, possible benefits and risks, and a plan for monitoring.
Medication within a broader plan
Medication may be appropriate for some patients, but it is considered within the larger developmental and clinical picture. Dr. Pawar discusses what a medication is intended to help, how progress would be evaluated, and how other supports may complement psychiatric care.
With the patient’s authorization, collaboration may include families or caregivers, therapists, primary care clinicians, schools, and other members of the care team.
Related autism care
Read about autism psychiatry across childhood and adulthood or learn more about adult autism psychiatry in Massachusetts.
Request a consultation
Appointments are provided through secure telehealth for patients physically located in Massachusetts at the time of the visit. An inquiry does not establish care or guarantee that the practice can provide care.