Research Opportunity: Share Your Experiences of Adolescence Before an AuDHD Diagnosis

AuDHD UK is delighted to share a new research opportunity from the University of Derby. The study will explore how adults diagnosed with both autism and ADHD later in life remember their social and emotional experiences during adolescence.

Many people who receive a diagnosis later in life have spent years navigating the world without the understanding or support they needed. Some experience significant hardship or burnout along the way. Research also suggests that many people seeking a diagnosis as adults are both autistic and ADHD (AuDHD), and that early identification and support can improve outcomes.

This study aims to learn more about what adolescence was like for late-diagnosed AuDHD adults. In particular, the researcher hopes to better understand the experience of masking, the internal impact of navigating life before diagnosis, and whether participants’ experiences point to patterns that may have contributed to their AuDHD being missed.

Who can take part?

To be eligible, you should:

• Be aged between 25 and 35.

• Have navigated secondary school in the UK or Ireland without support.

• Have received your autism and ADHD diagnoses as an adult.

• Have no history of traumatic brain injury.

• Be fluent enough in English to take part fully in a 60-minute interview.

Applications close on 30 November 2026.

What does taking part involve?

Taking part involves a semi-structured interview with the researcher, lasting around 60 minutes. The interviews are intended to feel more like a conversation than a formal interview.

Topics may include school and home life, expressing strong emotions, hobbies and social experiences. The researcher will also invite participants to reflect on how they view that period of their lives now, through the lens of their diagnosis.

Find out more and apply

Read the participant information and sign-up details.

The project is being conducted in association with the University of Derby. An ethics review has been completed on behalf of the College of Health & Humanities Research Ethics Committee by the supervisor and an independent reviewer.

AuDHD UK is sharing this research opportunity for information purposes only and is not affiliated with the study or involved in conducting it.