[imogen2]

Hi guys,

Just want to ask a bit of a technical question.

In a clinical setting, as typical symptoms, how can you tell between someone who has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) by itself, and someone who has ASD and ID (Intellectual difficulties) as a co-morbidity.

Would appreciate any answers, thank you.

[healingme4me]

If discussing, children, and they are in school, there are core evaluations where there's testing. Would imagine, adults can have similar tests?

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[Ruftin]

Hello and welcome to Psych Central imogen2!!! It's nice to meet you. You have joined a community of warm and caring members who will want to offer you support and advice. Yours is welcome as well.

Please feel free to contact any community liaison or moderator if you need help navigating the forums by left clicking on their name to the left of their post. It may take time for your first five posts to appear as they are being evaluated, after which you can join in on chats.

Not able to answer this specific question for you, but did want to say hi.

I look forward to seeing you around!!!

[CANDC]

This is a technical question beyond my knowledge.

I posted to Psych Central - Trusted mental health, depression, bipolar, ADHD & psychology information. but you may want to adjust the search.
Psych Central - Search results for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) by itself, and someone who has ASD and ID (Intellectual difficulties) as a co-morbidity.
That only got 1 hit besides yours.

[imogen2]

Thanks for the reply guys, there is a lot of overlap, all I can think about is that if the individual is a high functioning ASD then they will have a Higher IQ and they wouldnt count as having a diagnoses of ID, but it doesnt explain lower functioning ASD.

The short answer is to administer an IQ test.

Autism (now known as autism spectrum disorder) is a developmental disability. Research indicates that about 75% of people with ASD have non-verbal IQs below 70. Consequently, about 25% of people with ASD have normal to above normal intellectual ability.

[-jimi-]

It can be hard to tell. If the autism is severe it is rather easy to mistake plain symptoms for autism for intellectual challenge. If for example someone is non-verbal it can be pretty hard to tell. At least for an outsider.

But if the autism isn't as severe, when the person is actually having part in socializing, self care, education and problem solving it is easier to see. Someone with autism can have that and a learning disability and struggle academically. But if they struggle in all aspects, academically, with memory, general learning, general functioning and self care, have problems with rules and norms, abstractions and quite simple problem solving, that person could have a mental disability.

People with high intelligence and autism can use intelligence to compensate. People with mental disability have less ability to compensate.

Still, for an outsider it is a tough call. I have a friend who is either autistic with learning disabilities or autistic with mental disability. I can't say. Needs an expert to say and proper testing.

[Hellion]

Well they test IQ and cognitive abilities to determine that, of course that is not without flaws. For instance it might be difficult to test those things on a non-verbal person with autism, and it might be assumed they do have an intellectual disability as well when they don't....then of course some of us on the spectrum have a lot of fluctuation when it comes to skill levels for instance there are some who are great with technology and can find good jobs in that field, but they might have extreme difficulty in other areas of life, or you might be ahead of peers in some areas and way behind on others. Also there might be co-morbid mental disorders like depression, anxiety, PTSD, ect. I am diagnosed as on the autism spectrum but no intellectual difficulties per say, though I am terrible at math.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by -jimi-

People with high intelligence and autism can use intelligence to compensate. People with mental disability have less ability to compensate.

I don't know I am supposedly one of the people on the spectrum with higher intelligence....and thus far I have not found any way to effectively compensate for my difficulties with that....of course i have burnt myself out repeatedly attempting to do that, but of course that's not effective.