ASD & Mental Health Issues
Autism is a lifelong neuro-developmental condition that impacts two main areas of a person’s life: social communication and restricted behaviors / interests. In addition to these challenges, a person with autism is more likely to develop mental health disorders. This includes but is not limited to ADHD, anxiety, depression, and OCD.
The thing is, co-occurring disorders can be hard to identify, and have to be left to the professionals. What looks to a layperson like OCD (a disorder with specific diagnostic criteria) can look a lot like the normal stereotypy and resistance to variance that is present in the ASD diagnosis. There is, for example, notable overlap in the symptoms of autism, certain personality disorders, and PTSD (which leads to lots of inaccurate self-diagnosing on TikTok). That’s why diagnosticians exist; they have special training in these differences and can identify the borders between them.
If you notice any of the following, talk to your doctor about your concerns. Your loved one may be experiencing a co-occurring disorder, and they might need specific support for it.
The following list of behaviors are taken directly from the Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD) guidebook for Autism Spectrum Disorder & Mental Health Issues.
If you notice these behaviors in your loved one with ASD, consider medical evaluation for anxiety disorder:
constant seeking reassurance with repetitive questioning and/or checking behaviors
increase in performance rituals, rigid/inflexible behavior
perfectionistic behavior
low frustration tolerance
tantrums when things do not go “as expected”
avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
avoidance of new people, tasks, environments, or situations
If you notice these behaviors in your loved one with ASD, consider medical evaluation for mood disorder:
mood inflation or swings
agitation, restlessness, pacing, hyperactivity, wandering
loss of interest in typical activities, people
increased irritability
self-deprecating comments
inability to follow previously understood rules/limits
deliberate, potentially lethal acts
appears energetic despite lack of sleep
significant changes in sleep
As always, get out there and do good.
