Medical & Psychiatric Issues That May Accompany Adults With Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. We don’t know the cause of this but have seen some similar symptoms of autism. People with autism communicate, interact, behave, and learn differently than most people, according to the CDC. As it is a spectrum disorder, symptoms vary from person to person.
Some people diagnosed with autism experience additional medical and psychiatric issues as an adult, which include the following:
Mental health issues/ psychiatric disorder
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): ADHD is when a person is inattentive, is hyperactive, and is impulsive. Inattentiveness is being easily distracted, having difficulty focusing on a task, listening, and processing information. Symptoms of hyperactivity are fidgeting, squirming, difficulty with quiet tasks, and trouble sitting still during class. Impulsivity includes being inpatient, saying comments without thinking, and having difficulty showing emotions without restraints.
Anxiety Disorder: Anxiety is a feeling of extreme nervousness, worry, fear, or stress. This can impact the person by preventing them from breathing. This disorder also includes; social phobia, separation anxiety, panic disorder, and specific phobias. People with anxiety have a different range of symptoms that could include hyperactivity, fear, and tension.
Mood Disorders: Mood disorder is when your emotions are unstable or inconsistent with your current situation and interfere with your ability to function. Depression is a part of this disorder that occurs in ASD. The symptoms include low mood, poor sleep, loss of motivation, and appetite. People with ASD could benefit from medications and cognitive behavioral therapy. Bipolar disorder also occurs in ASD which is when there’s high energy with depression at times. Some symptoms that occur would be; abrupt increases in pressured speech, pacing, impulsivity, irritability, and insomnia.
Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID)
Sensory integration dysfunction is when sensory information such as; taste, smell, touch, hearing, vision, sense of movement, and a sense of position can be affected and perceived differently to a person which, that leads to an abnormal response. This could be loud noises or bright lights that could cause emotional discomfort. You may not respond to all sensations the same way, such as extreme heat, cold, or pain according to Healthline. Each person with autism reacts differently to these sensations that could be uncomfortable for them. One characteristic of SID is hypersensitivity which is the ability to tolerate being touched. Another characteristic is hyposensitivity which is an increased tolerance for pain or constant need for sensory stimulation.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
OCD consists of repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. People with autism are not generally bothered by their repetitive behaviors and restricted interests, which tend to bring them comfort and enjoyment. A combination of medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy can improve the symptoms of OCD that people with autism experience.
Pica
Pica is an eating disorder that’s common in children where they eat non-food items. Some non-food items can include chalk, toy, dirt, or paper.
Seizures
Seizures and epilepsy are the most common conditions in ASD. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder where the child has repeatable and unpredictable seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This can cause changes in behavior, movement, or feelings. Seizures can occur at any point in life but signs typically show up in adolescence. Some signs that show a child has a seizure would be unconscious body convulsions, and unusual movements A study showed an average age seizure occurs is around 13.3 according to Applied Behavioral Analysis.
Gastrointestinal (GI) Disorder
GI disorder is a person that has a condition or disease that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract such as; irritable bowel syndrome or constipation. Some characteristics of GI disorder are diarrhea, constipation, gaseousness, vomiting, acid reflux, painful bowel movements, arching back, pressing the belly, or gritting teeth according to Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia and Applied Behavior Analysis. When people with autism experience these problems it can disrupt their sleep, contribute to behavioral problems, and limit learning according to Applied Behavior Analysis. To receive treatment adults would have to go through several tests for the right diet.
Motor Difficulties
Motor difficulties are delayed or difficult to coordinate movements. This is common in babies, children, and adults. Children have gross motor difficulties such as balance problems, clumsiness, or walking problems. They also have difficulties with fine motor skills such as grasping objects, writing, or using cutlery. These motor difficulties can also affect children’s mouth which makes it hard to understand them.
Development
People with autism may have delays in language, social, and learning skills. They develop their skill at their own pace. People with autism might be good at putting puzzles together or solving computer problems but have trouble with social skills like talking or making friends. People with autism may learn a hard skill before an easy skill such as reading a long word but can’t tell you what the letter “b” sounds according to the CDC.
Intellectual disability and developmental delays
Intellectual disability is when children learn at a slower rate than others Typically they have difficulty with memory and problem-solving. However, this varies from child to child and ranges from mild to severe according to Raising children. There may be some skills that a child will find easy but another child could find it hard. Developmental delay is when children have cognitive and language delays. Children with ASD have trouble with verbal skills like talking, listening, and understanding children are diagnosed with this symptom at six years old with an IQ below 70 also having difficulties with daily tasks.
Fragile X syndrome
Fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes developmental problems such as learning disability and cognitive impairment. This is also a common form of inherited intellectual disability affecting 1 in 1,500 males according to Spectrum News. Some symptoms include mild to severe intellectual disability. Another is developmental delay and increased susceptibility to seizures according to Spectrum News. A physical symptom includes a long, narrow face with prominent ears, joint laxity, and flat feet. Some treatments for this syndrome focus on treating the associated symptoms such as intellectual disability and developmental delay through speech therapy, customized education plans, and behavioral interventions.
Social Skills
People with autism have social problems that prevent them from making friendships or carrying a conversation. Some examples of social issues include avoiding eye contact, prefers to be alone, avoids physical contact, and has trouble understanding other people’s feelings according to the CDC. People with autism may not be interested in developing friendships and have a difficult time understanding other’s feelings.
Communication
People with autism have different communication skills and vary from person to person. Some may speak fluently while others can’t speak or very little. Some people with autism say one word at a time, repeat the same words/phrases, or repeat what others say. They also may not understand body language or tone of voice. Some examples of communication issues according to the CDC include:
Delayed speech and language skills
Repeated words and phrases over and over
Talks in a flat, robot-like, or sing-song voice
Does not understand jokes, sarcasm, or teasing
Unusual Interest and Behaviors
A common symptom of autism is having unusual interests or behaviors according to the CDC, this could be...
Lining up toys
Is very organized
Gets upset with minor changes
Has obsessive interests
Follow certain routines
Plays with toys the same way every time
Likes parts of objects (ex: wheels)
Flaps hands, rocks body, or spins self in circles
People with autism have repetitive behaviors and routines that seem unusual and unnecessary. A repetitive behavior could be one part of the body or the entire body. Such as, repeatedly flapping arms or rocking side to side. Another behavior could be switching lights on and off according to the CDC. People with autism also have a routine such as, a person could look in every window as they walk by a building. A change in routine could cause a meltdown.
Sleep Disorder
People with autism have difficulty falling asleep or waking up. Some problems that could impact falling asleep would be anxiety, depression, GI disorder, behavioral problems, or medications. Implementing good sleep hygiene can help with this disorder by having a bedtime, no caffeine before bed, making the room dark and cool, keeping awake and sleep schedule consistent, and making sure to exercise according to Applied Behavior Analysis.
A person with these symptoms can consult a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or a licensed mental health professional to seek treatment. If you know someone who has autism and is interested in speaking with a professional to seek further information please contact our Autism Help Hotline.