In a study which looked at the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers found that nearly one-third of young children with ASD also have clinically significant ADHD symptoms.
The study also found that children with both ASD and ADHD are significantly more impaired on measures of cognitive, social and adaptive functioning compared to children with ASD only.
DSM-5 allows dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD
“We are increasingly seeing that these two disorders co-occur, and a greater understanding of how they relate to each other could ultimately improve outcomes and quality of life for this subset of children,” explained Dr. Rebecca Landa, senior study author and director of the center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger. “The recent change to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to remove the prohibition of a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD is an important step forward.”
Children with both disorders more impaired
Out of the 162 toddlers in the program, 63 had ASD. Eighteen of those, or 29 percent, had ADHD. Most of the children entered the study as infants or toddlers. Other studies considered older children already diagnosed with one or both disorders, making them more likely to have severe impairments.
“We focused on young school-aged children because the earlier we can identify this subset of children, the earlier we can design specialized interventions,” said Landa. “Tailored interventions may improve their outcomes, which tend to be significantly worse than those of peers with autism only.”
The children with dual diagnoses were more impaired than those with only ASD on measures of cognitive and social functioning, as well as an ability to perform everyday activities. They were likely to exhibit cognitive delays and more severe autism mannerisms. These children may benefit from different treatment methods or intensities than those with ASD only.
Source: Kennedy Krieger Institute, MedicalNewsToday
