Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Content in Highly Viewed TikTok Videos

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Alvares, G. A., Edwards, C., Licari, M. K., Marion, L., Munro, C., Munro, E., Paciente, R., Staniland, L., Ta, D., & Woolard, A. (2025). Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Content in Highly Viewed TikTok Videos. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2025.0006

Publication date: 23 Jun 2025 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
10
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 10 (10.0%)
  1. Gail A. Alvares
  2. Chris Edwards *
  3. Melissa K. Licari
  4. Larissa Marion
  5. Caitlin Munro
  1. Emily Munro
  2. Rigel Paciente
  3. Lexy Staniland
  4. Daniel Ta
  5. Alix Woolard

Abstract

Background: Social media allows users to connect with others’ experiences and points of view, with TikTok being the fastest-growing platform worldwide. Highly viewed videos related to neurodiversity on TikTok have an increasing role in understanding and acceptance of neurodivergent individuals. However, little is known about the type of such highly viewed TikTok content, including how neurodivergent individuals depict themselves or are depicted by others. This study aimed to explore neurodivergent content within highly viewed TikTok videos using autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related hashtags. Methods: We identified publicly available videos ( n = 500) using hashtags with high view counts (#autism, #actuallyautistic, #autismawareness, #autismacceptance, #audhd, #adhd, #adhdtiktok, #adhdcheck, #adhdawareness, #neurospicy; 50 selected per hashtag). We coded videos identified for feature extraction for engagement metrics, demographics, and type of included content, with 20% randomly selected for qualitative reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Most videos depicted creators with lived experience of ADHD and/or autism, with videos using ADHD hashtags most often from the perspective of individuals with ADHD and autism videos including a broader range of perspectives from autistic creators and loved ones (parents, siblings, partners). Most content shared personal experiences, often with humorous or self-deprecating overtures. We developed several themes: (1) lived neurodivergent experiences, (2) sensory differences and experiences, (3) family and relationships, and (4) portrayals of neurodivergence. Subthemes included invisible presentations of autism and ADHD, appreciation for community support and accommodations, sharing of strengths and challenges, and the impact of co-occurring conditions. Discussion: Engaging on social media can be a powerful medium to find and enhance feelings of connection with the autistic and ADHD communities, with various perspectives and experiences portrayed by creators using neurodiversity-related hashtags. Further research is needed to understand how users perceive or interpret such content, both within and outside the neurodivergent community.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
32
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
1 / 32 (3.1%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
2 / 144 (1.4%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 2 / 17 (11.8%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 2 / 140 (1.4%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
17 / 144 (11.8%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 16 / 140 (11.4%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
15 / 17 (88.2%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 15 / 144 (10.4%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 14 / 16 (87.5%).
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