Comorbidity of Autism (part 1)

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Autism spectrum disorder is the root for addressing other comorbidity on its milestone of life. Many autistic patients out there that suffer another or even other comorbidities on their life alongside autism itself. There are several comorbidities that alongside with autism spectrum:

The correlation between autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as be diagram by Dr. Megan Anna Neff, who also diagnosed as autistic and ADHD. Source: neurodivergent insights

Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the world estimated 5% of 100 people, while as autism spectrum disorder fewer estimate as on 1% of 100 people in the world (Hours, 2022). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder itself has three categorizations, inattentive type, hyperactive and impulsive type, or be combined type. In case of prevalence with autism spectrum, in recent literature, the estimate of autism spectrum that comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ranges on 50% to 70% and does not mention which are most common case of the types of ADHD itself (Rong, 2021). In the modern culture, the patient of this combined disorder known themselves as AuDHD, coined as autism spectrum with ADHD (Neff, 2024).

Personality disorders

  • Schizoid Personality Disorder
  • Schizoid personality disorder (SPD) usually being characterized as social detachment, making the patient being limited and little on social participation and conversation. Patient with schizoid personality disorder tend to be avoid the social interaction as goes into reducing contact and pretending as being loner and isolate in the one “safe space”. This disorder itself usually being subtle up on early adulthood and could be the indicate first line diagnosis before other prevalence of another disorder present up. That’s why autism spectrum disorder patient in here is one of the prevalence that tied up into schizoid personality, due its prefer to be loner and having a narrow interest also present in patient with schizoid personality disorder; making this case on psychiatry prognosis could overlap between (Neff, 2023). One of the relevant theories, mention up that autism spectrum disorder and schizoid personality disorder has a prevalence to be comorbidity up to 7% (Lugnegard, 2012, cited from Neff, 2023).
  • Schizotypal Personality Disorder
  • Not much different with schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder shares same trait, but with addition with mild psychotic symptoms and closely tied into schizophrenia spectrum (ICD-11). This disorder itself also present up on early adulthood as goes to few symptoms: eccentric approach, realized-mind on psychotic episode, and lack of social relationship. A psychiatry from the writer, stated that schizotypal personality disorder presents up on adulthood, manifest up on exactly same symptom with autism spectrum disorder without being noticed on childhood, making the autism spectrum disorder comes as late diagnosis (Manungsang, 2024). There are no specifics of the world prevalence of this two comorbid in scientific or doctoral journal, but judging from schizotypal personality disorder prevalence in general, there are 4% of 100 people in the world that having this personality disorder (Francois, 2024).
  • Borderline Personality Disorder
  • Among the personality disorder that still protest as male condition, borderline personality disorder itself present on women that being misdiagnose up into autism spectrum disorder. Since women and autism spectrum disorder is still on develop on meta-analysis of diagnosis, borderline personality disorder usually the first line diagnosis of autism spectrum before the patient being diagnose with. In the world prevalence, there are ranging from 2% to 6% of autism spectrum being comorbid to borderline personality disorder, especially on women (Hermann et al, 2018).
  • Obsessive-Compulsive (personality) Disorder
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) (sometime also prefer as personality disorder in other journal) is the condition when the patient does a ritual thing on repetitive way or intrusive thoughts that with purposeful mental and physical action; leading into compulsive action that the patient seem to be relaxing up, as goes like soothing method to be restore imbalances of brain chemistry (Pazuniak, 2020). About around 40% of relevance between autism spectrum with OCD since the diagnosis can overlap with restricted, repetitive behavior that present up on autistic patient
Example of patient being on generalized seizure, which is an imbalance between neurotransmitter on the brain. Source: freepik

Epilepsy/seizure

Seizure is the disorder that involving the brain imbalance chemistry, making the patient have a jerking or unconscious mind in few seconds to few minutes. The cause of seizure sometime linked by low blood sugar, high temperature, and lack of body energy. What the ties up with autism and seizure is the comorbidity that occur on same time in autistic patient that cause up on short seizure (called as partial seizure) or generalized seizure (called as grand mal epilepsy). Around 30% epilepsy and seizure itself suffer up by autistic people due the brain imbalance (Lock, 2024).

(end of part 1. continues on part 2)