Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Autism is often connected with other disabilities

Depending on where you live in the world, children and adolescents with developmental disabilities make up anywhere from just under eight percent to more than 30 percent of the population. Autism affects approximately three percent of that population, making it the fastest growing disability group.

Autism is frequently paired with other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, such as:

  • obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)
  • intermittent explosive disorder (IED)
  • dissociative identity disorder (ID)

(Other medical conditions, such as seizures and gastrointestinal ailments, also present in autistic people at a higher rate.)

When considering interventions or therapeutic treatments, bear in mind...

  • Intervention should be individualized according to specific strengths and areas of need
  • No ONE intervention is appropriate for all

Autism and developmental disabilities in Indiana

  • Approximately 17 percent of Indiana’s population has a developmental disability (DD) that requires professional intervention and support for the individual, family, and community
  • Greater than 20 percent of Indiana’s non‐disabled population is directly impacted as caregivers of those with developmental disabilities—whether through familial relationships or as direct family members
  • Among treating providers and teams, less than 20 percent report having any specific disabilities training. More than half feel “inadequately prepared” to provide treatment (Ryan & Scior, 2016)
  • Considered together, over three million individuals living in Indiana are impacted directly and/or indirectly by DD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD; the fastest growing disability area; Ardhanareeswaran & Volkmar, 2015) combined (United States Census Bureau, 2021) with numbers continuing to rise annually