Comorbid ASD

Has anyone been diagnosed with an autism (spectrum) disorder (including Asperger's and PDD NOS)? Was it before or after you psychotic (spectrum) disorder diagnosis? Does anyone have family/relatives with ASD?

The chances of having both, considering both have a genetic basis and both have an incidence of about 1% but not considering assortative mating (being attracted to someone with a similar phenotype in some ways or someone who complements another due to differences in phenotype), are very, very small (0.0001% at best). However, the actual comorbidity—given diagnoses—is much higher.

There could be three reasons for that: one disorder is mistaken for the other or assortative mating causes two genetic differences to co-exist often or a combination of the two.

My son has pdd nos and suspected bp. He has add too.

What makes you and/or his psychiatrist think he has PDD NOS, which symptoms specifically? I am very curious. I really don't believe in comorbidity in most cases if at all, but I guess it could be. Is there any clear reason to conclude BP or SZA/BP or maybe SZ couldn't have been mistaken for PDD NOS (ASD)?

I am particularly interested because I am afraid a misdiagnosis can be reason to not "dig deeper" and thus blaming to much on ASD. Is his psychiatrist thinking of BP or are you?

Again, I have my theories, but I am not categorically saying it could not be.

Edit:
The first time autism was used as a term, it described the negative symptoms of SZ (no distinction was yet made between SZ and SZA). ADHD-inattentive also has great overlap with SZ/SZA prodromes and the syndromes.

Does your husband have ASD or some of its characteristics, if I may ask (I gather from your signature he has BP-I)?

He scored high on the test for asd. He didn't talk until he was 3 and he started with full sentence and could read. Compulsively picks at his skin, and just doesn't "get" people. He's very literal and can only follow one instruction at a time. BP is suspected because of how he reacts to adhd meds, family history, his suicide attempt @ age 8 and several other bp symptoms. The fact a mood stabilizer worked well for him. He'd crash and become suicidal.

Not "getting" people can be because of non-interpretation (details are there but the natural/subconscious "Gestalt" doesn't register) or mis-/over-interpretation (the "Gestalt" did very much register, but rationalising causes mistakes to be made). One would be ASD-like, the other SZ/SZA-like, but they result in the same problem, superficially.

Picking at your skin could be something purely neurotic, self-hurting or something neurotic, an anxiety disorder, caused by either ASD or BP/SZA/SZ. It could even be catatonia.

Taking things literally could very well be ASD but could also be due to social anxiety caused by SZ/SZA/BP. Being able to only follow only one instruction at a time could be ASD, but also due to bad (working) memory (very typical for SZA/SZ), ADHD-I or BP distractibility or racing thoughts, or obsessions due to just anxiety or due to BP/SZA/SZ.

Just being the devil's advocate here.

Edit:
The percentage I gave is of course wrong: chance of 0.0001, so 0.01%. However, incidence of autism used to be 1 in every 1000, so 0.001%.

I just came across this thread. Pure coincidence, seriously.

Do you think that the hallucinations and delusions are due to autism and he/she is just fine with psychotherapy?

Effing psychiatry, really.

Edit:
About the test: apart from the similarities in symptoms that I mentioned previously, other symptoms are very similar: "obsessive" interest in some subjects can be (hypo)mania. All negative SZ(A) symptoms as well as those of depression can easily be mistaken for the symptoms of ASD.

There should really be some annual "Clinicians (Pre-)Psychosis Awareness Day", both dealing with those with "unipolar depression" becoming psychotic due to antidepressants and quite many of those with "ASD" being those with undiagnosed psychotic disorders.

It is just plain dangerous: those think they are getting "help" or expect it being just plainly mistreated and no-one insisting on some system-wide intervention, mostly because of things like pride and being unchallenged and authoritarian.

Psychiatry is sickening. The meds is just what scientists came up with. They add nothing but confusion and neglect.

His t left and he doesn't want a new one. He's been off meds for awhile but he wants back on abilify. Under his dx. It's pdd nos. His former pdoc wanted to keep it off record until he needed to be hospitalized. He's definitely has issues . I'd rather it not be bp/sza. However he has a high chance of it (both parents have bp or sza). He got dx. With asd young. The meds are the same. We've worked with him to learn reality testing, when to say you're suicidal, understanding others and other things.

We've edited our life around helping him with his issues. He's currently okay and stablish without meds.

Good to hear he's doing okay. You sound like a very good, caring parent.