Chief Investigator: Professor Samuele Cortese, NIHR Research Professor, University of Southampton

Co-Investigator: Miguel Garcia Argibay, Senior Research Fellow,  University of Southampton

Team: Laura Nisbet, Mental Health Nurse, lead neurodevelopmental pathway, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Foundation NHS Trust

Partners: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Foundation NHS Trust, University of Southampton

Start: 1 10 2024

End: 31 3 2026

Aims of the study: This study wants to find out which medications work best for children who have both Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism. We are especially interested in learning whether the most commonly used medication for ADHD (called methylphenidate) works well for children who have both ADHD and autism, or if a different medication would be better.

Background: Many children with ADHD also have autism. Right now, doctors usually treat ADHD with methylphenidate, but the studies that recommended this medicine didn't include children who have both ADHD and autism. So, we need to see if this medication works as well for children with both conditions.

How We Will Do the Study: We are going to look at existing information (data) from the UK and abroad (Sweden), about thousands of children who have both ADHD and autism. We will compare different groups of children:

1. Those who started with methylphenidate (the usual ADHD medicine).

2. Those who started with other types of medication.

3. Those who switched between different medications.

4. Those who did not take any medication.

   
   

We'll check how often these children needed to go to the hospital or emergency room, if they had any injuries, or if they had issues with self-harm. This will help us figure out which medicines work better and are safer.

We will also use special techniques to make sure the comparison between the groups is fair and considers any other factors that might affect the results.

Patient, public and community involvement: We believe this study will help doctors treat children with both ADHD and autism better. That’s why we’ll work closely with people who have lived experience of these conditions, both locally and internationally. Locally, we will involve people with lived experience from the Solent Academy of Research and Improvement team and Southampton Primary Care Research Centre. Nationally, we will work with representatives of the ADHD Foundation- Neurodiversity charity, the largest association people with lived experience of ADHD and autism in the UK. Internationally, we’ll partner with representatives of ADHD Europe, which is the largest European group for people with neurodiverse conditions like ADHD and autism. Professor Cortese has ongoing collaborations with all these partners. These people will help us at every stage of the research: designing the study, choosing what results to focus on, and sharing the findings with others.

Sharing the Results: Once the study is finished, we will share the results with doctors and healthcare providers to help them make better decisions for treating children with both ADHD and autism. This may lead to changes in treatment guidelines and improve care for these kids. The findings will be published in medical journals, presented at conferences, and shared on public websites and in publications, especially those aimed at families of children with ADHD and autism.