The Co-Occurrence of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Cerebral Palsy and Associated Comorbid Conditions in Children and Adolescents

Background: Comorbidity is the co-occurrence of two or more disorders in the same person. Aim: This study investigated the frequency of comorbid conditions, in children and adolescents, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy (CP), and a comorbid diagnosis of ASD and CP. Method: Ninety-six children and adolescents with ASD, CP, and both ASD and CP aged between 4 and 18 years participated in this study. Parents completed the Gastrointestinal Symptom Inventory, Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire, Child Behavior Checklist, Social Communication Questionnaire, and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Results: Results of ANOVA analyses revealed significant group differences in sleep problems, social communication difficulties, and adaptive behavior. Regression analysis found that the presence of an intellectual disability significantly predicted levels of adaptive behavior. Conclusion: This research demonstrated the importance of studying comorbidities in children and adolescents with CP alone, ASD alone, and combined ASD and CP.