Abstract

In addition to the symptoms of ASD, children with ASD also often suffer from a host of conditions including neurological abnormalities, behavioral disorders, sensitivities, and sleep problems. It may be these conditions and not ASD that bring families to a physician for diagnosis and treatment, although ASD should be on the radar when a child experiences difficulties in any of those six areas because of the high rate of comorbidity among them all. An accurate ASD diagnosis early on in a child’s development is what allows for early intervention and effective therapy. However, an early diagnosis can be difficult because of the high rate of syndromes co-morbid with ASD. The high rate can often lead to the diagnosis of a comorbid disorder, but not ASD itself. My paper’s discussion of each comorbidity and the symptoms each shares with ASD will hopefully heighten caregiver’s and physician’s awareness that a symptom for one condition could be an indicator of ASD in addition to the condition itself, although further direction needs to be taken in distinguishing the same symptoms in different disorders.

Keywords and phrases: honors thesis, autism, comorbidity, ASD treatment, early diagnosis

Semester/Year of Award

Fall 2020

Mentor

Steffen P. Wilson

Mentor Department Affiliation

Psychology

Access Options

Restricted Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Psychology

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