CTV Atlantic and reporter Jessica Ng recently interviewed me as I sat with my son Conor at the Northside Farmers Market in Fredericton North. Ms. Ng contacted Autism Connections Fredericton whose spokesperson provided commentary as well and he described autism as "complex" but in the reported section of his comments did not mention the words "intellectual disability"even though persons with autism AND intellectual disability comprise 50-56% of the autism spectrum according to World Health Organizaton and US CDC estimates.
The ACF spokesperson did mention that 30% of persons with autism have epilepsy/seizures but he did not mention that by far the greatest number of those with autism and epilepsy is found among those with autism and intellectual disability - that ID increases the risk of epilepsy in ASD by 3 to 5 times:
The first question that arises concerns the exact prevalence and risk factors for the ASD–epilepsy comorbidity. For individuals with ASD, estimates of the prevalence of developing epilepsy in a lifetime range from 2.7% to 44.4%,7-15 with a recent review reporting a sevenfold increased risk of epilepsy in individuals with ASD relative to the general population.16 A key reported risk factor is the presence of intellectual disability, which increases epilepsy risk in ASD by three to five times.7, 17
Prevalence and risk factors for autism spectrum disorder in epilepsy: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Parents of persons with Autism and ID should be informed of this important information that ID increases the risk of epilepsy in ASD by 3 to 5 times!
Parents should know that their children with autism and ID are at serious risk of developing seizures AND face an average life expectancy 30 years shorter than persons in the general population. The studies reporting this information were summarized in the Autistica UK Report Personal Tragedies, Public Crisis:
Many families and autistic individuals have raised concerns over early deaths in autistic people. Ground-breaking new research now confirms the true scale of the mortality crisis in autism: autistic people die on average 16 years earlier than the general population. For those with autism and learning disabilities, the outlook is even more appalling, with this group dying more than 30 years before their time.
Persons who descrribe autism as "complex"but hide this important information about ID and ASD, including Academics and psychologists at events like the Atlantic Provinces "Autism" Conferences, should upgrade their practices and start providing this important information about Intellectual Disability in Autism and the serious premature mortality facing persons with autism and ID.
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