Autism Comorbidities

Those on the autism spectrum tend to have other comorbid conditions. We're going to look at what comorbid means as well as what conditions are commonly comorbid, with an additional look at a study that found clusters with possible subtypes of autism based on comorbidities.

References/Further Reading:

[Mrfurball]

I was surprised when I heard that ear infections are common with autistic people. I had countless ear infections when I was a kid but it got better since then

[Garrison_the_Barbarian]

My autism and schizophrenia are definitely coexisting together. The way I’ve always understood it (and I might be off), autism increases sensitivity to stimuli and schizophrenia gets its power from the person being sensitive to their own thoughts. The more sensitive you are to your own negative thoughts, the more they’re going to harass you and the more damage they do. I don’t know if it’s like this with other mental disorders, but I wouldn’t doubt it if it was. Thanks for the video, Stephanie. Your insight is always a joy to listen to! :)

[Jaichbinhier]

I know you've told us about the definition of "comorbidity" before, Steph,
But whenever I see the term, I still have to remember that it doesn't indicate death. 😅

[julirobinson]

Many ASD moms know the comorbidities by initials and refer to the list of diagnoses as an " alphabet soup diagnosis" For example at 8 yrs old my daughter is diagnosed : ASD1, ADHD ( combined type ), IED ( Intermittent Explosive Disorder ), OCD, ODD. I think it's easy to get lost in those initials and forget about all the wonderful gifts and talents our children have been given. Many kids despite those initials are considered 2E ( twice exceptional) which means they have asynchronous development. For example, a child may excell academically but find him or herself challenged with motor skills. You may see traits of a future artist with little to no skills in writing or mathematics. Uneven development is real and can make typically structured school environments extra challenging. I think in all cases, we must lean in to understand their gifts, passions, and talents. And by encouraging their true interests, we can connect and build up their weaker skills, while still celebrating their advanced skills in other areas. My advice? Don't be nervous if someone serves you a big bowl of "alphabet soup", just pick out the best letters and spell something inspirational!

[Ruth-hfct]

I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar but i think it’s a misdiagnosis and I am actually autistic. I have my autism assessment coming up in January 22 so wish me luck! Great video as always btw!

[whitneymason]

Very interesting! I think my commodities are the main reason I was diagnosed later. I had childhood trauma and have OCD, depression, and other mental health issues that I think most doctors thought came from the trauma rather than from autism.

[courtneybrock]

For the past year I've been working on compiling a ton of this info from different research studies specifically regarding to women. It's basically going to be a "here's the comprehensive guide I wish someone could have handed me when I was diagnosed as an adult woman." Obviously it's going to take twice the time I want to estimate it will take, but when I finally finish it I want to share it.

[ronibunny]

I have been wondering this for a long time. Thank you for making a video about it. Its not the easiest to research.

[misunderstoodpersons]

This is a tough one to narrow down too, so Great Work!! Comorbids are one of a handful of reasons why those on the spectrum have and do go undiagnosed for years, if at all. Not recognizing autism; seemingly buried under and beside these other mental health and/or other health conditions, etc. some are more defined for me now, and some were replaced or taken off my health record altogether. Basically consolidated and much more clear for me and my medical team : ) This was So Good As Usual thank you!! : )

[monicadahlin]

I have Ehlers - Danlos syndrome and Aspergers. My daughter also has both of these and I have heard that it's pretty common to have that combination, Ehlers Danlos is a genetic disorder.

[samuelabela]

I think that comorbidity isn't a total overlap or (re-projection? lol) to in this case autism. It's more like an irregularly shaped puzzle with SOME overlap. And your brain, especially for us autistics, works in a very interconnected way. So in my case Having ADHD, Autism and (self diagnosed, not conclusive) Bipolar (Obvious manic episodes), feels like they are all one condition. And i would personally put them all under one condition (like an umbrella of sorts) just to feel more grounded, i usually fit them either under ASD or ADHD, even for explanation purposes for other people close to me.

[manuelvg]

I also have BPD, anxiety, depression and asthma along with autism

[garyfrancis]

I have aspergers but at 16 I got psychosis though legal highs.

So there was a time I had schizo effective disorder and autism together.

Now I just have autism.

I have no hallucination or hearing voices now.

Which I'm pleased about at 16 I was tripping at school I have no idea how I got home one time.

[jaspermoth]

I have Tourettes sy ndrome and most likely autism. With Tourettes often comorbids with things asd, adhd or ocd. Its really interesting looking at how neurological conditions can be related.

[SSJKamui]

The comorbidity of anxiety and Depression is one Argument for the learned helplessness hypothesis.

[melissahood]

I read that fibromyalgia is common among autistic women. My daughter was recently, age 14, diagnosed with ASD level 1. I have many of the symptoms and have fibromyalgia, low thyroid, gallbladder issues. I'm 43, I eat a keto carnivore diet and excercise 4 to 5 days a week.

[immortalmysticCT]

Such an interesting video. I'd compare my autism and comorbid issues to a laundry list. I'll never forget just turning 15 and being diagnosed with GAD, major depressive disorder, and Autism in one day. I already had ADHD and non verbal learning disorder( I can speak, but have issues with certain things) too. I'm 27 and doing much better than I was then but I'm still working on it. The one thing I wonder to this day, is why they waited until 15 to test for the rest when the signs were there earlier in elementary school.

[NotAyFox]

That was very interesting. Much more diverse comorbidities came out these studies than I expected and kind of raise more questions than answer them. But it's a good start.
EDIT: I have like a whole visual list of my comorbidities, mostly psychological, but I'd rather not list them here.

[MissShembre]

Huh, the ear thing is interesting. I had surgery to remove them as a tween because they were a pain, but I was born with pits/Preauricular sinus at the tops of my ears. Other kids always asked me if they were ear piercings, which was kinda funny. I was also prone to rashes as a kid, and this past year I could barely eat anything because I was suddenly allergic to almost everything I ate (fixed it by taking out my Mirena, still recovering, but gd.) I'm not normally in that kind of state, but I empathize with anyone who deals with that on a daily basis. :( I do have anxiety and my depression is worst in late winter, and also IBS from time to time.

[jiltedlittle]

This video is what helped me realize I have hEDS! Now I'm diagnosed. I know so much about it. I remember when I first watched this and I knew nothing. Thank you thank you thank you 🙏🏼