Are multiple disabilities common in ASD?

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When I say multiple I mean more then five.

I have too many disabilities / diagnoses:
Schizophrenia
OCD
Dyspraxia
Mears-Irlen syndrome
Chronic migraines with persistent visual aura
IBS
Multiple visual problems
Was born 60% deaf
Prosopagnosia (suspected, not confirmed)
Proprioception diifficulties
Thermoregulatory dysfunction
Auditory processing disorder
von Willebrand's disease


I'm quite sure I'm not alone in having so many diagnoses.

I wouldn't be surprised if it is common for Aspergians to have many diagnoses.

But you will get your advanced degree, despite those diagnoses.

I'd say yes. Definitely OCD, dyspraxia, irlen syndrome, migraines, IBS, vision problems, auditory issues (tinnitus, hyperacusis) are often comorbid with ASD. I's also throw in gluten intolerance / celiac disease, casein intolerance, salysilate intolerance, clumsiness, axiety and depression as common cormorbid conditions as well.

I agree, I think it is quite common for people with ASD to have other problems, especially mental health problems. I think because ASD gives you so many difficulties with life in general, you don't have as much resources left over to 'combat' mental health problems. Plus most people with more mental health problems tend to develop IBS, and problems with the digestive system are linked to autism

My diagnoses:
ASD with prosopagnosia
Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
OCD
EDNOS
Paranoid schizophrenia
Depression
GAD with panic attacks
IBS
Borderline personality disorder

I agree. Having multiple problems on here seems quite common. I'm about 70% deaf in both ears and might have dyspraxia. I also have migraines and am in the recovery phase of one now. I might have mild depression too. I also have a lazy eye.

Forgot to mention: I have prosopagnosia and dermatillomania.

Last edited by DarkAscent on 29 Jul 2014, 3:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Thanks for the input.

Apparently I have a genetic abnormality but that's all I know as my parents wouldn't expand on it.

Despite my multiple conditions, I will get my degree and I WILL get a PhD in the future.

C-ptsd is technically a disability. Only that is one that you can get. I'm just finding that out. Very easy for an autistic to get.

• ADHD
• Tourette's Syndrome
• Anxiety (w/Panic Attacks)
• Seizures (though, the doctor said I didn't actually have a seizure disorder----you've gotta have so many, in a certain amount of time.)
• C.A.P.D (Central Auditory Processing Disorder----it's when someone talks loudly, or real fast, I can't understand them.)
• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia
• Migraines (with Aura)
• Tinnitus
• IBS / Hiatal Hernia / Gallstones
• Reactive Hypoglycemia
• Food Allergies (Basically, I'm allergic to every raw fruit and vegetable under the sun.)
• Lactose Intolerance
• SEVERE Motion Sickness (I can get sick watching certain things on TV, even.)

To answer the original question: Yes, I think multiple disabilities are common in ASD. I've never known anyone, who has it, to have only it.

Last edited by Campin_Cat on 30 Jul 2014, 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

keep thinking like that steel maiden, and everytime are feeling negative about it keep re reading what have wrote, dont give up.

multiple diagnoses are highly highly common in ASD,it woud probably be easier to ask who doesnt have multiple diagnoses on here than to ask who does.

I have:
ADHD
OCD
Depression (Although its more of a self-diagnosis just because every time something bad happens I just get in this depressing mindset of just being extremely negative and my head just feels like its going to explode.)


That's about it for me though then again I haven't tried to be diagnosed for anything else.

Yes, I think so.

Mine are, in rough order of appearance:

Behavioral reactions to dairy (did not know this til very recently)
OCD starting at age 4
Depression starting at about age 9 or 10
Migraines with aura starting at age 11
Reactive hypoglycemia starting in high school
Fibromyalgia (not sure of exact onset)
Irlen sensitivities (found out what this was in college)
Autonomic nervous system control issues in college
Bladder issues and UTI
Aural migraines
Complicated migraines
Episode of major depression with beginning psychosis in adulthood
Odd EEG, but reassured by very experienced neurologist it is just stuff they see in patients with migraine though a less-experienced, quack neurologist insisted it was epilepsy even though I have never had anything that anyone thought was a seizure
Tinnitus
Dizzy spells (seems to be salt-intake related)
Mild narcolepsy not needing 'treatment' but enough to cause sleep paralysis and sleep hallucinations
Random, sudden wakefulness in sleep, no explanation could be given for this
Wheat intolerance (neuro symptoms including migraine)
Dairy intolerance (gastro and neuro symptoms discovered prior to learning of the above reaction I had as a young child)
Very susceptible to Strep throat infections and get very sick, very fast with strep infections

I also know that I have problems with general anxiety and PTSD-like issues though am not diagnosed with PTSD as I haven't gone to be evaluated for that, neither do I fancy their treatments for it.

I was labeled as being multi handicapped in school and I never asked my mom about it. I am not sure what my disabilities were or what they were referring to. I can think of speech delay and perhaps autistic characteristics.

I have been diagnosed with in the past:

Sensory processing disorder
Dyspraxia
OCD
Depression
Cognitive disorder NOS
ADD
Hearing loss
Communication disorder
Language processing Disorder
Cluttering
Asperger's
Anxiety disorder
Anorexia Nervosa
Severe speech delay

I think that is it.

I also have a learning disability but never saw it in my records. My mom told me I had it.

While we're making lists:

HFA
ADHD
Tourettes
OCD
Anxiety
Dyscalculia
Dyslexia (suspected)

I definitely have multiple issues (I honestly don't know how anyone didn't suspect there was something more going on with me as a child):
Anxiety
Depression
Amblyopia
Dyspraxia
Some unknown condition that causes inflammation in my joints
BPPV

I'm pretty sure there is something else that I'm just too tired to think of at the moment.

Most if not all the asd kids I went to school with had been diagnosed a lot of extra stuff. And I also think maybe that might also because we see doctors more often. On my teen forums a lot of times a kid will post having symptoms of something and when we say "you should see a doctor" they seem to hardly ever get check ups. Whereas I've had like a million check ups already by pediatricians, neurologists and psychologists.

Forgive any misspellings (some of this stuff isn't covered by spellcheck lol)

Mild schizophrenia.
Dysparxia
Dyslexia
Dyscalcula
Dysgraphia
Depression
ADHD
GAD
Photophobia
Tinnitus
Migraines
Insomnia
Juvenile arthritis

Last edited by EzraS on 29 Jul 2014, 11:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.