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Autism and Related Conditions Resources: Connections, Challenges, and Care
Autism often exists alongside other conditions, known as co-occurring conditions, which can affect physical health, mental well-being, and daily functioning. Understanding the relationship between autism and these conditions is essential for providing comprehensive care and support. This resource page delves into the most common co-occurring conditions, such as social anxiety, ADHD, OCD, and more. Here, you’ll find insights into how these conditions interact with autism, strategies for management, and resources to help individuals and families navigate these complex challenges with confidence and compassion.
Recent Articles
Social Anxiety vs Autism: Understanding the Differences and Overlaps
The major difference between social anxiety and autism is how they are classified; autism is considered a neurodevelopmental condition, while social anxiety is a mental health condition. Despite this, the two diagnoses share a number of similarities. Autistic individuals and people with social anxiety communicate and experience social situations differently than others. While they have many overlapping traits, social anxiety and autism are ultimately very different. Individuals with either diagnosis can benefit greatly from supports like psychotherapy and, for some, medication. A mental health professional must determine whether an individual is autistic, has social anxiety or both to provide truly tailored and holistic support.
BPD vs Autism: Understanding the Differences and Similarities
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) differ primarily in their classification—autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, and BPD is a personality disorder. They also diverge in several traits, though they share a number of surface similarities such as different ways of relating to other people. Both diagnoses are commonly misunderstood, making it important to distinguish between them to ensure autistic individuals and people with BPD receive meaningfully tailored support. Autism and BPD seem to co-occur at somewhat higher rates than other groups—although more research is required to determine how commonly they overlap—and individuals with either diagnosis can also benefit greatly from understanding the traits of each diagnosis.
Alexithymia and Autism
Everyone will, at some point in their lives, find themselves at a loss for words when describing how they’re feeling. When it occurs on occasion, it’s human nature. However, if the challenge to name or express emotions is a prevailing theme in someone’s life, it may be a sign of alexithymia. While primary alexithymia is relatively uncommon, the odds of having alexithymia traits are much higher in autistic people.
