Autism and Co-existing Conditions

Nip in the Bud

What

Watch our film which features an interview with Professor Emily Simonoff, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at King’s College London, to find out more about autism and co-existing mental health conditions.

Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) is not a mental health disorder. It’s a developmental condition that affects how people see the world and how they communicate and interact. Autistic people will often, but certainly not always, experience some mental health challenges.

It is estimated that around 70% of people with autism have one mental health condition (such as anxiety, ADHD, depression or OCD) and around 40% of the 70% will have more than one. Some of these mental health conditions begin in childhood and are sometimes referred to as co-occurring or co-existing conditions.

Early intervention can be extremely effective at limiting the effects of these co-existing mental health conditions.

This is one of our information films but we've also included other films about Autism Spectrum Condition and real-life experience films here on the Young Foundation platform.

For more information, the accompanying comprehensive Fact Sheets and additional resources visit our website.