If ASD is just another neurological variation in our species and not a disorder, then why is life often much more difficult for those affected by it? Taking away the societal aspects which negatively affect those with ASD, there is still a much higher prevalence of intellectual disability within the community. This fact has been brought up several times by people who believe we should continue the search for a “cure” for autism, since it is, apparently, inherently more detrimental than being neurotypical.
However, the connection between autism and intellectual disability is not so clear. More and more research is showing that perhaps being autistic does not raise an individual’s chances of being intellectually disabled, or vice versa.
As Emily Sohn from Spectrum News explains, there are several factors which have led scientists and society to associate intellectual disability with ASD.
“Parents may seek an autism diagnosis because services are often easier to access for that condition than for intellectual disability — or require an autism diagnosis to access at all.”
In other words, people with intellectual disability can often be misdiagnosed with autism for easier access to the resources they need for their condition, which is quite unfortunate.
Another factor to consider is how often those with intellectual disability also struggle in areas of communication, making them harder to distinguish between those with autism. Additionally, Sohn describes how many parents prefer to look for an autism diagnosis because having autism can sometimes be less stigmatizing than having an intellectual disability, also contributing to the number of misdiagnoses.
On the other hand, there are also many autistic individuals who are misdiagnosed with intellectual disability. When a child seems less socially aware, is less talkative, or does not talk at all, it is not rare for psychologists to sometimes make assumptions about the intelligence of the child. It can also sometimes be more difficult to find the IQ of an individual who has communication differences or sensory difficulties, as those with autism often do. As one interviewee from Sohn’s article states, “We’re weird, there’s no denying that. But there’s a difference between being different and straight up not understanding things.”
Considering both of these patterns psychologists have recently become aware of, it is no wonder that the incidence of intellectual disability is more common among those with ASD. Luckily, since this issue has been studied more and more in recent years, the rate of this dual diagnosis has gone down substantially. In the 1980’s, the percentages of those with ASD and mental retardation (now called intellectual disability) was around 70%, whereas by 2014, that number has gone down to 30%.
One more thing you may be thinking is, what if autism and intellectual disability really are connected, biologically? While it is certainly a possibility, there has been no definitive evidence thus far that the two are connected. Some studies have shown that certain rare genetic mutations are linked to both autism and intellectual disability, but only in the case of conditions such as Fragile X syndrome and Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Other studies predict autism and intellectual disability have very little genetic connection considering the current evidence suggesting intellectual disability more often has to do with genetic deletions, and autism more often has to do with genetic duplications. Overall, the science surrounding the subject is not clear enough for us to make any conclusions.
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with being intellectually disabled, autistic, or both, it can be quite destructive when the diagnoses for those affected are not correct.
Treatment and accommodations for those with autism and intellectual disability can look very different, and in order for people of either condition to get the help they need, we have to continue to find the distinction between the two.
Spectrum News Article:
https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/deep-dive/the-blurred-line-between-autism-and-intellectual-disability/
Hi Amber! This post was very insightful and an educational read. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be misdiagnosed and treated accordingly. It must be very frustrating as people are simply trying to understand themselves. I really enjoyed reading this and gaining insight into this topic.