Being autistic means that you have many challenges in dealing with every aspect of your life. It is very difficult to convey your thoughts and feelings to other people, and you are often dealing with so much sensory input that you can feel cut off from the rest of the world. So it is really not very surprising that so many people with autism also suffer from anxiety or depression as well.
Since it is so difficult for an autistic person to convey their thoughts and feelings, the fact that they are suffering from depression or anxiety is often overlooked. For many fully functional people, expressing the fact that they have either of these conditions can be very difficult, and for someone who already has communication issues it is not surprising that so many people with autism have their depression or anxiety go completely unnoticed.
Anxiety is difficult to pinpoint in autistic cases because the autistic person may show symptoms of anxiety on a daily basis. Many tasks can make an autistic very anxious, especially if the task breaks the autistic person's usual routine. An autistic person relies on order and sameness as a means of understanding his surroundings. Any change in routine can cause great anxiety, but this does not mean that the autistic person has an anxiety disorder.
Depression and anxiety are common in autism and they can be very difficult to treat. It is very difficult to even diagnose the conditions, and once they are identified they are difficult to address because autistic people have so many communication and social obstacles to overcome.
Many choose to treat depression and anxiety in autism with medication. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are often used in autistic cases even when the autistic person has not been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Doctors have found that the antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications help autistic people stay on task and decrease stereotyped movements often associated with autistic disorder.
I have worked with one autistic girl for several years. As she got older, she demonstrated some signs of depression and anxiety. Her parents consulted with her doctor who prescribed an antidepressant medication. I added some light therapy and some sensory integration activities into her therapy routine. We also introduced emotions into her program. Her depression and anxiety have lessened and she is functioning very well on the medication. Her attention to tasks has also improved greatly.
If you have a child suffering from autism you may want to talk to their doctor about the possibility of depression or anxiety. He may be able to help you in identifying any problems, or may be able to refer you to a specialist who can help. - 16004
Since it is so difficult for an autistic person to convey their thoughts and feelings, the fact that they are suffering from depression or anxiety is often overlooked. For many fully functional people, expressing the fact that they have either of these conditions can be very difficult, and for someone who already has communication issues it is not surprising that so many people with autism have their depression or anxiety go completely unnoticed.
Anxiety is difficult to pinpoint in autistic cases because the autistic person may show symptoms of anxiety on a daily basis. Many tasks can make an autistic very anxious, especially if the task breaks the autistic person's usual routine. An autistic person relies on order and sameness as a means of understanding his surroundings. Any change in routine can cause great anxiety, but this does not mean that the autistic person has an anxiety disorder.
Depression and anxiety are common in autism and they can be very difficult to treat. It is very difficult to even diagnose the conditions, and once they are identified they are difficult to address because autistic people have so many communication and social obstacles to overcome.
Many choose to treat depression and anxiety in autism with medication. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are often used in autistic cases even when the autistic person has not been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Doctors have found that the antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications help autistic people stay on task and decrease stereotyped movements often associated with autistic disorder.
I have worked with one autistic girl for several years. As she got older, she demonstrated some signs of depression and anxiety. Her parents consulted with her doctor who prescribed an antidepressant medication. I added some light therapy and some sensory integration activities into her therapy routine. We also introduced emotions into her program. Her depression and anxiety have lessened and she is functioning very well on the medication. Her attention to tasks has also improved greatly.
If you have a child suffering from autism you may want to talk to their doctor about the possibility of depression or anxiety. He may be able to help you in identifying any problems, or may be able to refer you to a specialist who can help. - 16004
About the Author:
Jimmy Johnson is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Autism Depression visit Treating Autism Today for current articles and discussions.
