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Autism affects one in 160 children globally.  A whole body or   neuro-mental disorder , it affects people in varying degrees and in a variety of ways.  Commonly witnessed comorbidities include   seizures , depression, gastrointestinal and sleep disturbances, eating and feeding difficulties, anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  These difficulties can extend across the life span.  Studies have found that people with autism have half the life span compared with the general population – an average of 36 versus 72 years. (Guan 2017) Autism itself is not a cause of premature mortality. Rather, it relates to many medical and mental health conditions in this report – most of which are treatable and/or preventable . Causes Scientific evidence suggests that there are many environmental and genetic factors that may make a child more likely to have  ASD .  Factors that increase the risk of developing ASD are: Geneti...

Epilepsy affects 20- 33% of people with autism, compared to an estimated 1-2% of the general population. Epilepsy , or seizure disorder, was the first medical condition clearly connected to autism. (Gubbay 1970) Emotionally cold parenting and autism is a false theory because there’s evidence that autism is a neurodevelopmental condition (affecting the brain development). The overlap of autism and epilepsy appears to be most common in people who also have  intellectual disability . (Amiet 2008) Intellectual disability is defined as an IQ score below 70, along with challenges or difficulties performing everyday functions.  Intellectual disability affects an estimate 32% of people with autism. (Christensen 2016) Diagnosis and treating epilepsy effectively with autism is important, to prevent the potential for brain damage and death from uncontrolled seizures.  A review of 21 studies in 2012 found out that death due to epilepsy was 7-30% among people with autism. (Woolfenden ...

The most common medical condition associated with autism is   gastrointestinal disorder . (Nikolov 2009) MIND institute (University of California, Davis) documented that children with autism were eight times more likely to suffer from one or more chronic GI problems than other children. (Chaidez 2014)  Common GI issues include diarrhoea, constipation, painful stooling along with gaseousness and abdominal pain.  The study also linked chronic GI issues with increased severity of autism behavioural symptoms, including irritability, hyperactivity, social withdrawal and repetitive behaviours.  It also found a strong association between GI issues and autism symptoms among nonverbal persons who have difficulty in communicating pain and distress. The microbiome There is evidence since the late 1990s, that any unhealthy change in the intestinal tract’s normal community of digestive bacteria (microbiome) drive both behavioural and GI problems in some people with autism.  ...

People with autism may also suffer from disrupted sleep.  Studies have found that more than 50% of the children with autism and possibly as many as four in five have one or more chronic sleep problems. (Cortesi 2010, Krakowiak 2008) Few commonly faced problems include difficulty falling asleep, prolonged wakening during the night and extremely early raising. Sleep issues may have an effect during the day on the behavioural challenges for children with autism, which includes spikes in repetitive behaviour, difficulty in communication, hyperactivity, irritability, aggression and inattention – which have a huge impact on learning and a decrease in the overall quality of life. (Mazurek 2016) It is well known that people with autism may have sleep issues and that goes hand in hand with day time behavioural challenges which might interfere in their learning and negative impact on the overall quality of life. It was reported from many parents who are unable to sleep themselves for fear th...

ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and autism are neurodevelopmental conditions that appear to have roots in early brain development. (Munesue 2008, Sikora 2012, Rapoport 2012) Anxiety and depression may stem, at least in part, among people with autism-related impairment that increases daily stress and social isolation, and decreases overall quality of life. (Vasa 2016, Greenlee 2016) Epidemiological studies suggest that between 54 and 70 percent of people with autism also have one or more other mental health conditions.  (Simonoff 2008, Hofvander 2009, Croen 2015, Romero 2016) For people with autism, untreated mental health conditions can profoundly worsen behaviour.  The challenging part is the overlapping symptoms, which is more difficult to identify in people with autism. (Levy 2010, Sikora 2012, Miodovnik 2015)  Social withdrawal associated with depression or schizophrenia, for example can be difficult to distinguish from autism-related social impairment.  E...

  A defining feature for people with autism is feeding-related problems, as identified by  Dr. Leo Kanner  in the in 1940s. It is estimated that 70% of children with autism have feeding and / or eating problems, 36% of these problems were classified “severe” from the point of review of diagnostic records. (Romero 2016) Caregivers and researchers have long reported that feeding children with  autism  is often challenging. (Kanner 1943) Feeding disorder is a term that describes problems with eating enough or eating the right type of food.  Children with autism often eat only a few types of foods—choosing certain textures or colors of food for instance, and / or indulging in disruptive meal-time behaviour.  The causes of the issues are many, including sensory aversions, anxiety (e.g. after an incidence of choking, gagging or vomiting) and rigidity (aversion to change).  Difficulty in chewing and swallowing the food may also be related to motor issues...