Questlove reveals he sought autism and ADHD testing, revisits childhood memories

The Roots drummer discussed childhood habits that made him feel like an outsider but did not reveal his test results.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is opening up about seeking autism and ADHD testing as an adult, a detail he revealed while recalling childhood habits that made him seem different to relatives.

The Roots drummer, who has spoken about vulnerability in his creative work, shared the story on Michelle Obama’s “IMO” podcast, which she hosts with her brother Craig Robinson.

“I decided to get tested for autism, ADHD, like a year and a half ago,” Questlove said during the November 4 episode. Calling the moment a “quasi-disclosure,” he shared no test results and did not say whether he received a diagnosis.

Questlove said he grew up thinking of himself as the “outcast,” “black sheep” and “weirdo.” His fascination with spinning objects was one reason. He recalled his mother telling him about an aunt who noticed him staring at a record as it turned for roughly 20 minutes, without any music playing.

A rotating light above his bed could calm him as a child. He was also drawn to the way a record label looked as it spun, sometimes before he paid attention to the song itself. Those visual details even influenced which records caught his interest.

This was not the first time Questlove had spoken publicly about the habit. In a June 2013 interview on NPR’s “Fresh Air,” Terry Gross asked about a passage in Thompson’s memoir “Mo’ Meta Blues” in which he described being an unusual child. He said babysitters and aunts could leave him with a stack of records, knowing he would sit and watch them turn.

Gross asked whether his behavior might have prompted an autism diagnosis if he had grown up in a different era. Questlove recalled relatives joking about his behavior but also worrying about his fixation on spinning objects. He described balancing records on his finger just to watch their labels rotate.

His father, Lee Andrews, performed with the doo-wop group Lee Andrews & The Hearts, and Questlove spent time on the road with him as a child.

During his guest appearance on “IMO,” Questlove encouraged people who might be avoiding autism and ADHD testing to consider getting assessed.