Coocurring Conditions

An estimated 60% to 95% of autistic individuals have at least one co-occurring medical, neurodevelopmental or mental health condition.

It starts here,

Autism is a 'spectrum' badly done as a sliding linier graph or better understood as a circular 'dartboard' of 12 subject segments with varing degree aspects to THE INDIVIDUAL.

The closer to the core or futhur away to the rim as to THEIR PERSONAL 'make-up'.

This gives the individual an understanding as the beginning of the journey of self discovery to see themselves and for their own understanding and self peace. How to manage themselves, how they want to present themselves to the world, society or their solitude.

This is Self Empowerment.

This is Wellbeing.

This is the meaning of life.

While they are distinct conditions, healthcare professionals view ADHD as a dimensional spectrum because it varies drastically in its presentation, severity and how it impacts a person's life from day to day

• ADHD: Affects nearly 60% of autistic adults (AuDHD), causing overlapping traits like executive dysfunction, impulsivity and difficulty regulating attention.

• Intellectual Disability: Ranges from mild to profound, though many autistic people have average or above-average intelligence.

• Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, & Dyscalculia: Structural learning differences that impact reading, writing, spelling and processing numerical information.

• Dyspraxia: A condition affecting motor planning, physical coordination and spatial awareness.

• Speech & Language Disorders: Challenges including severe language delays, developmental language disorders or specific speech patterns like echolalia (repeating words).

• Anxiety Disorders: One of the most prevalent conditions, affecting up to 84% of autistic individuals, often driven by sensory overload or social misunderstandings.

• Depression: Up to four times more common in the autistic population than in neurotypical individuals, sometimes presenting as intense irritability rather than sadness.

• Eating Disorders: Highly linked with autism; conditions include Anorexia Nervosa, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) driven by sensory food aversions and Pica.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Shares traits with autism regarding rigid routines yet involves distressing, intrusive thoughts and compulsions.

• Bipolar Disorder: A psychiatric condition that typically emerge during late adolescence or early adulthood.

• Epilepsy & Seizures: Affects up to 35% of autistic individuals; causes frequent seizures or staring spells.

• Gastrointestinal: GI DisordersAffects 46% to 84% of individuals; includes chronic constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux.

• Sleep: Chronic Sleep ProblemsAffects roughly 80% of individuals; causes insomnia, night waking, or atypical melatonin production.

• Genetic: Down Syndrome, Fragile X, Tuberous SclerosisOverlapping genetic mutations; Fragile X is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability.

• Connective Tissue: Joint Hypermobility & EDSCharacterised by loose, painful joints, easily bruised skin and structural tissue fragility.

• Sensory Processing Differences: Over-responsiveness (hypersensitivity) or under-responsiveness (hyposensitivity) to sounds, textures, lights, tastes or smells.

• Alexithymia: A sub-clinical condition characterized by an inability to identify, name and describe one's own emotions.

• Auditory Processing Disorder (APD): Difficulty processing, distinguishing and making sense of sounds, especially in noisy environments.

Properly identifying these co-occurring conditions is essential so individuals can receive tailored support rather than having their physical or mental health symptoms incorrectly attributed solely to autism.