gps can now diagnose adhd across australia — but what does that mean for audhd?

Every state in Australia is now moving to let GPs diagnose and treat ADHD. It's a landmark shift that could slash wait times and costs for hundreds of thousands of people. But if you're one of the estimated 650,000 Australians living with both ADHD and autism — what we call audhd — this reform only solves half the puzzle.

the gp revolution is here

In the space of twelve months, the landscape of ADHD diagnosis in Australia has transformed. NSW and Victoria both announced reforms in early 2026 allowing trained GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD. Queensland opened GP-led treatment for adults in late 2025. South Australia now lets GPs access training to diagnose and prescribe for both children and adults. Western Australia expects its first cohort of 65 trained GPs by the end of 2026.

Victoria has committed $750,000 to train 150 GPs by September. The RACGP called the NSW changes "lifechanging" for thousands of patients. And they're right — when the average wait for a specialist ADHD assessment is 12 months and costs upwards of $1,400, giving GPs the tools to step in is genuinely transformative.

For people who've spent years bouncing between waitlists and dismissive clinicians, this matters. A lot.

but audhd doesn't come in halves

Here's the thing most coverage misses: ADHD rarely travels alone. Research suggests that 50 to 70 percent of autistic people also have ADHD. And for those of us with both — audhd — the experience isn't just "adhd plus autism." It's a distinct neurotype where the two conditions interact, mask each other, and create unique challenges that neither diagnosis alone can explain.

The GP reforms address the ADHD side of the equation. But autism assessment in Australia still requires a specialist pathway — typically a psychologist or psychiatrist with specific expertise, another long waitlist, and another significant out-of-pocket cost. There is no equivalent GP pathway for autism. No state has announced one.

This means a person with audhd might now get their ADHD diagnosed quickly and affordably through their GP, but still face a 12-to-18-month wait and thousands of dollars to get the autism half of their neurotype recognised. That fragmented pathway doesn't reflect how audhd actually works in people's lives.

women and late-diagnosed people are still falling through the gaps

A March 2026 study from the University of Queensland highlighted the ongoing barriers women face when seeking an ADHD diagnosis. Researchers interviewed 30 women aged 22 to 72 and found a pattern of dismissal, scepticism, and systemic gatekeeping. Women reported being told they "couldn't possibly have ADHD" because they were too successful, too educated, or too old.

Meanwhile, a separate study published in the journal Autism explored the emotional landscape of Australian women diagnosed with autism after 30. The researchers identified themes of frustration, grief, anger at being dismissed — but also relief and pride in finally understanding themselves. Many experienced autistic burnout before ever reaching a clinician who took them seriously.

For women with audhd, these barriers compound. ADHD symptoms can mask autistic traits, and vice versa. A GP trained only in ADHD might miss the autism entirely — or attribute autistic traits to anxiety or depression, as has happened to so many women for so many years.

what needs to happen next

The GP ADHD reforms are a genuine win. But if we're serious about supporting the audhd community, we need to think bigger. Australia still has no dedicated clinical guidelines for co-occurring ADHD and autism. There's no national data collection on audhd prevalence. The NDIS doesn't recognise audhd as a primary category.

Here's what would make a real difference:

• Training GPs to screen for autism alongside ADHD, not just one or the other
• Developing integrated assessment pathways that recognise the overlap between ADHD and autism
• Funding research into audhd-specific experiences, particularly for women and non-binary people
• Creating a national audhd clinical guideline that reflects the lived reality of co-occurrence

April is Autism Acceptance Month. It's a good time to ask: acceptance of which autistic people? If the systems we're building still leave audhd people navigating two separate, expensive, and exhausting diagnostic pathways — we haven't accepted the full picture yet.

If this resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you're navigating your own audhd journey, know that you're not alone — audhd australia is here, and this community is growing every day.

different wiring. same potential.