Other Co-Occurring Conditions

Find other conditions which can be experienced alongside neurodevelopmental differences below. 

• Anxiety

  Someone with a neurodivergent condition is more likely to experience anxiety.

  This could be because they have difficulty processing social and emotional information, or they are particularly sensitive to sounds or smells, or because they struggle with communication and social interaction.

  Find out more about anxiety here

• Auditory Processing Disorder

  This is where the brain struggles to make sense of sounds it receives. This can result in a delay in processing what another person is saying, difficulty in telling similar sounding words apart and being unable to filter out background noise.

• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

  This is a condition which makes the body's connective tissue weaker than usual. It typically affects the skin and joints. A person with this condition might have more movement in their joints than you would normally expect. They might also have unusually stretchy skin and they could bruise easily, or wounds may not heal quickly.

• Epilepsy

  Epilepsy is a condition where there is a tendency to have seizures which start in the brain.

  While epilepsy itself is not typically considered neurodivergent, it is a neurological disorder that can co-exist with neurodivergent conditions such as autism, ADHD and learning disabilities.

• Fragile X

  This is a genetic condition with traits including learning disabilities and developmental delays, such as not walking or talking at the same time as other children of the same age.

  Some autistic children will be tested for Fragile X.

• Hypermobility

  This is when you have very flexible joints which can cause you pain.

• Irlen Syndrome

  Differences in the way the brain processes visual information which can affect reading. It is not easily diagnosed through normal sight checks.

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

  This is a common condition which affects the digestive system.

  It can cause symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhoea, bloating and constipation.

• Learning disabilities

  A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability or difficulty with everyday activities which will affect a child for their whole life.
  
  Young people with learning disabilities tend to take longer to learn and may need support to develop new skills, understand complicated information, and interact with others.

• Prosopagnosia

  People with this have great difficulty recognising faces they have seen before, even many times, especially if they are not in the usual context - for example, seeing a teacher at the shops.

• Sleep disorders

  A neurodivergent person can struggle to control their sleep/wake cycle, or they might find that being very sensitive to sensory input, such as sounds and smells, makes it difficult for them to go to sleep.

  Some neurodivergent conditions have characteristics such as hyperactivity or anxiety which can also cause problems with sleeping.

• Toileting Challenges

  From potty training to constipation, the relationship with neurodivergent children's diet, interception challenges and differences in understanding and communication can lead to toileting challenges. 
  
  Find advice about neurodivergent continence issues here