First paper of the Cambridge collaboration with Simon Baron-Cohen: social barriers in adults with ADHD

The first research paper from the collaboration between Assoc. Prof. Ali Kandeğer’s Adult Neurodevelopmental Disorders Clinic and Carrie Allison and Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen of the Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, was published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica on 11 January 2026.

In 142 adults with ADHD and 104 controls, basic theory of mind was intact; social anxiety and avoidance were explained by autistic traits, lower cognitive empathy and difficulties in attention switching. The quantitative findings were complemented with real-life accounts.

“The first research article of an exciting international collaboration has been published.”

Assoc. Prof. Ali Kandeğer