Autism is often diagnosed alongside other conditions. It's important to support people with more than one condition in a way that meets all their needs, while understanding that the needs that arise from being autistic are distinct. 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 

Most people with ADHD experience both inattentiveness and hyperactivity-impulsivity. For some people with ADHD, their difficulties mainly lie in just one of these two areas. ADHD has an impact on day-to-day life, including school, work and relationships. 

ADHD tends to run in families, and children are often diagnosed between the ages of six and 12. 

Find out more at  ADDISS,  The ADHD Foundation  and  ADDUK (a site by and for adults with ADHD). 

Hearing impairment 

The NHS offers  hearing screening for all newborn babies in their first few weeks. Early diagnosis increases their chances of good communication and language development. 

Some autistic people have sensory differences. If you or the person you care for or support is sensitive to noise, arrange a hearing test through your GP. 

Professionals who specialise in autism and hearing impairment do not always agree on the best approaches. But many professionals have found that when parents teach their child sign language at an early stage, it can help them to communicate and assist their learning as they grow up. Some  communication approaches to try include:  visual supports, objects of reference,  British Sign Language (BSL) and  Makaton. 

Find out more about deafness, hearing loss and hearing impairment from  Action on Hearing Loss. 

Down's syndrome 

Down's syndrome is a lifelong condition that causes delays in learning and development.  

Most parents find out that their baby has Down's syndrome soon after their birth. It occurs because some babies' cells contain an extra chromosome 21. 

All people with Down's syndrome will have some degree of learning disability. Children with Down's syndrome do learn to walk, talk and be toilet trained but in general will meet these developmental milestones later than children who do not have Down's syndrome. They may find it easier to learn visually, like many autistic people, and learn to talk more easily if the main words are signed as well as spoken. 

Some people have a dual diagnosis of Down’s syndrome and autism. 

Reproduced by kind permission of the Down's Syndrome Association. 

Dyslexia 

Dyslexia is a lifelong specific learning difficulty, mainly affecting the development of literacy and language related skills. It affects the way information is processed, stored and retrieved, with problems of memory, speed of processing, time perception, organisation and sequencing. 

Get more information about dyslexia, screening and diagnosis, and tips for teachers, from the  British Dyslexia Association. 

Dyspraxia 

Dyspraxia is a neurological condition that affects physical coordination. It is also associated with difficulties in perception, language and thought. 

Autistic people often have difficulties with motor co-ordination and, if they are significantly affected in this way, may also be given a formal diagnosis of dyspraxia. As with autism, people with dyspraxia may be over- or under-sensitive to certain  sensory stimuli. 

Find out more from the  Dyspraxia Foundation.  

Epilepsy 

Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has a tendency to have seizures that start in the brain. Many types of seizure can occur and epilepsy can affect anyone at any age. 

About one in every 100 people has epilepsy. Autistic people are at heightened risk, with between  20% and 40% having epilepsy. This rate increases steadily with age. 

Autistic traits may look like seizures, for example, repetitive movements. Any concerns should be explored by a specialist. 

Find out more information about epilepsy from  Epilepsy Action or the  Epilepsy Society, and about  managing epilepsy in autistic people.   

Fetal anti-convulsant syndrome (FACS) 

Fetal anti-convulsant syndrome (FACS) can occur when a woman takes epilepsy medications (anti-convulsants) during pregnancy. Not every child exposed to these medicines will have FACS. A child with FACS may have a delay in developing speech and language or may have difficulties with social interaction, memory and attention. Some may also have other conditions, such as spina bifida. A number of children with FACS also have a diagnosis of autism. 

Fragile X Syndrome 

Fragile X Syndrome is the most common known cause of inherited learning disability, affecting  one in 4,000 men or boys and one in 8,000 women or girls. People with Fragile X Syndrome can have mild to severe learning disabilities. Their speech and language development may be delayed and they can experience anxiety in social situations. 

Characteristics associated with Fragile X can include a short attention span, impulsiveness, overactivity, dislike of eye contact, difficulty in relating to other people, the need for a familiar routine, and hand flapping or hand biting. 

Some of these are similar to those experienced by autistic people. However, autism and Fragile X Syndrome are two different diagnoses. Some people are diagnosed with both. 

For more information, visit  The Fragile X Society. 

Adapted and reproduced by kind permission of The Fragile X Society. 

Hyperlexia 

Hyperlexia is characterised by an intense fascination with letters or numbers or, in younger people, an ability to read far beyond their age. However, people with hyperlexia may have difficulty understanding verbal language and interacting and socialising with others. Find out more at  Hyperlexia UK. 

Learning disabilities 

Some autistic people may also have a learning disability, which can affect aspects of their life. 

Autistic people can have different 'degrees' of learning disability, which can affect all aspects of their life, from studying in school to learning how to wash themselves or make a meal. Some people will be able to live fairly independently - although they may need a degree of support to achieve this - while others may require lifelong, specialist support. Some autistic people do not have accompanying learning disabilities, but may still have specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. 

Find out more from  BILD,  Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, and  Mencap. 

Social Communication Disorder 

This diagnosis might be given where someone exhibits the social communication and interaction aspects of autism, but does not show restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities. 

A person with social communication disorder will have difficulties with verbal and non-verbal communication that cannot be explained by low cognitive ability, will have difficulties in learning and using spoken and written language, and will give inappropriate responses in conversation. Social relationships, academic achievement and occupational performance can be affected. 

Some people with these characteristics may have been given a diagnosis of Semantic Pragmatic Disorder or Pragmatic Language Impairment. 

Find out more at  Afasic and  I CAN. 

Visual impairment 

Visual impairment means a permanent reduction or loss of vision that cannot be corrected by glasses or contact lenses.  

We do not know how many autistic people have visual impairment. Visual impairment itself is low incidence, so having a dual diagnosis of autism and visual impairment must be very low incidence. 

However, for the people concerned, for their families and for the practitioners working with them, the impact is very high. When visual impairment and autism occur together, it is not a question of simply adding together the impact of the two disabilities - the impact is much greater because the difficulties arising from each disability interact with each other. 

Autistic people who have visual impairment will all have individual characteristics, abilities and needs. Commonly-used approaches will not always be suitable. 

Find out more from  RNIB’s Visual impairment and autism resource pack.