Comorbidity of autistic disorder in children and adolescents

Although considerable r search as been done on various aspects of autism, information about the prevalence of coincident psychiatric disorders that may complicate his syndrome, isnegligible. In this paper, we present preliminary data on the presentation fother psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with autism. Out of an outpatient sample of 68 autistic hildren and adolescents, 6 (9%) presented with an associated psychiatric disorder. Depression was the most common diagnosis. None of the patients was given a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Clinical and research implications of the findings are discussed. Introduction Method Autism is a behavioural syndrome characterized by the presence of severe social deficits, specific lan-guage impairments, and a characteristic course (Rutter & Schopler, 1988). Although substantia