When It Runs in the Family: Understanding the Genetic Link Between ADHD, Autism, and Parenthood

It’s a moment many parents quietly recognise.

Your child struggles to focus at school, melts down when routines change, or experiences the world more intensely than others. As you support them, a quiet thought begins to surface: this feels familiar.

At Montrose Health Group, we see this moment often during the triage process. What begins as a conversation about a child slowly becomes something else... a moment of recognition. Parents start to reflect, sometimes for the first time, on their own experiences. The very symptoms and presentations they are seeking help for in their child are ones they recognise in themselves.

"When I'm asking the questions [at triage] a lot of them resonate with the parents."

"After I ask about if the traits are suspected in the family [a usual question asked at triage] parents start to look to themselves and say that some of the things are only noticed when I asked. Often they'll say 'oh I do that... I didn't know that could have been' [adhd or autism]"

Assistant Psychologist, Grace Waudby

For many families, this recognition isn’t coincidence. Increasingly, research and lived experience shows that ADHD and autism often run in families, shaped by shared genetics and neurological patterns passed from parent to child.

The Family Thread No One Talks About Enough

ADHD and autism are neurodevelopmental conditions, meaning they influence how the brain develops and processes information. Both conditions have a strong genetic component, and they frequently appear across generations — sometimes diagnosed, sometimes simply recognised in hindsight.

Parents may only begin to understand their own neurodivergence after their child receives a diagnosis. What once felt like “just my personality” or “how I’ve always been” suddenly gains clarity and context.

Shared Genetics, Shared Traits

Rather than being caused by a single gene, ADHD and autism are influenced by many genes working together, each contributing a small part. These genetic patterns can affect attention, emotional regulation, sensory processing, communication, and executive functioning.

Importantly, ADHD and autism also share genetic overlap. This means:

• A parent with ADHD may have a child with autism

• A parent with autism traits may have a child with ADHD

• Family members may show overlapping features without meeting full diagnostic criteria

This overlap helps explain why families often see a mix of traits rather than a neat, single diagnosis.

What This Means for Parents

Understanding the genetic link can be both validating and emotional.

For some parents, it brings relief — a reminder that their child’s challenges are not the result of poor parenting, lack of effort, or failure. For others, it opens the door to self-reflection, and sometimes grief for support they never received themselves.

It is also worth mentioning that environment, support, understanding, and early intervention all play powerful roles in shaping outcomes.

Why Awareness Matters

Recognising familial patterns allows families and clinicians to:

• Identify needs earlier - early intervention is key

• Tailor supports more effectively - coaching or pharmacological management

• Build empathy and understanding between parents and children

  
  

When parents understand their own neurodivergence, they’re often better equipped to advocate for their child — and for themselves.

A Strength-Based Perspective

ADHD and autism are not just collections of challenges. Many individuals bring creativity, deep focus, originality, empathy, honesty, and unique problem-solving abilities to their families and communities.

At Montrose Health Group, we recognise that neurodiversity is part of human diversity. Understanding the genetic links between parents and children isn’t about labels — it’s about connection, clarity, and compassionate support.

Because sometimes, understanding your child also means understanding yourself. That can be the beginning of something powerful.