What Mental Disorders are Associated with Autism?

Aside from physical ailments, there are many different psychiatric disorders, mental disabilities, and mental health issues that are more likely to co-occur with autism. The most common co-occuring neurological condition is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which studies show co-occurs up to 70% of the time. The frequency of this overlap has caused some to question whether or not they are on the same spectrum. Features of ADHD include hyperactivity, poor impulse control, executive dysfunction, rejection sensitivity, et cetera.

Some of the other most common mental disorders associated with autism include: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD, which involves obsessive perfectionism, attention to detail, repetitive behaviors), Depression (signs include feeling sad or hopeless, irritability, anhedonia, changes in sleep or appetite), Anxiety (signs include restlessness, excessive worry, trouble concentrating), Schizophrenia (signs include visual/auditory/olfactory/sensory hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, erratic behavior, disordered or nonsensical speech), Dyslexia (signs include trouble reading, poor spelling, difficulty recalling words or names), Dyscalculia (signs include difficulty with basic arithmetic, number transposition, inability to tell left from right, no sense of direction, poor time and sequence recall, poor financial planning), Dysgraphia (signs include difficulty handwriting, inability to tie shoes, problems fastening buttons, difficulty in other fine motor skills), and many others.