Autism is frequently associated with multiple other medical issues. While there is presently no medications that can help with autism, medications and treatments may help ease some of the other symptoms.
Genetic Disorders: Some genetic disorders, such as Fragile X syndrome (which causes intellectual disability) and tuberous sclerosis (which causes benign tumors to grow in the brain and other vital organs) appear more frequently with individuals with ASD.There are other genetic disorder, that don’t have a name yet. While each genetic disorder is rare, together approximately 20% of all individuals with ASD have these.
Seizures: People with ASD have a dramatically higher than average chance of developing epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Approximately 20-30% of children with ASD develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood, compared to 1-2% of the average population.
Gastrointestinal disorders: Children with ASD are 8 times more likely than other children to have various gastrointestinal disorders . These include constipation, abdominal pain, bowel inflammation, and reflux.
Feeding and eating problems: Approximately 7 out of 10 children with ASD have problems with feeding and eating. These may include food aversions, restricted eating patterns, problems with chewing, chronic overeating (inability to have a sense of ‘fullness’), and eating of non-food items.
Sleep problems: Over half of all children and adults with ASD have problems with sleep. These include ability to fall asleep as well as stay asleep throughout the night. Lack of proper sleep interferes with learning, worsens behavior and other physical symptoms.
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder: Approximately 30 – 60% of all people with ASD suffer from ADHD, compared to 6-7% of general population. Symptoms include persistent inattention, difficulty remembering things, trouble with managing time, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
Anxiety: Over 40% of all children and adults with ASD have anxiety disorders. Anxiety symptoms include racing heart, muscle tightness, stomach aches. In addition, this includes social anxiety – extreme fear of new people, crowded places and social situations.
Depression: Over 5% of children and over 25% of adults with ASD have depression. Depression rates rise with age and with intellectual ability, so individuals higher on the spectrum are more likely to be depressed.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The likelihood of OCD is significantly higher with individuals with ASD than with general population.
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