Autism and epileptic fits?

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I hope your lovely husband will be fine.


I have a hard time accepting my diagnosis, even though I was diagnosed about 22 years ago. And when I hear things like "people on the spectrum have a short life expectancy" or "people on the spectrum are more at risk of developing brain damage or seizures" I get angry but also scared. It's like autism used to just be a neurological brain disorder, now it's turned into something genetic like downs syndrome - "autism now includes facial abnormalities, risk of heart disease, shorter/longer arms, etc, etc, etc..." - things I never knew of before.
I mean, if autism did include all of these physical things then surely autism would be easier to diagnose?

There's no need to worry.
High rates of epilepsy are found in those with a genetic disorder such as Fragile X and/or IQ below 75.
For autistics outside of those groups, the rate is way lower, about 3%.
Also, it usually becomes apparent in early childhood or in adolescence.
So if you've never had a seizure, it's really not worth worrying about.

spectrum news org has an oct 21 2019 article about the association between epilepsy and autism. I was not sure if I was allowed to post links. a significant percentage of autistic people also have epilepsy. It makes sense when you realize they are both neurological "things".

NT, here...I have been following this thread very closely, because my beloved husband is on the spectrum...As i have mentioned before, here in WP, words have negative connotations or hidden meanings...The idiom "to throw a fit", for example, is a deliberate act of anger...That is totally contrary to the involuntary nature of an epileptic seizure...And therefore, in my humble opinion, "fit" and "epilepsy" should never be used together on the same phrase...

I fully understand that such connotations can be easily overlooked by someone on the spectrum who is unable to understand the hidden meanings of words...However, as an NT, i feel a moral obligation to bring it up to everyone's attention, so that we do not inadvertely perpetuate the misconception that people on the spectrum are willfully misbehaving...Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to take a firm stand in favor of those on the spectrum who suffers from epileptic or other kind of seizures...

Calling a seizure a "fit" went out of style about the 1940s......

As i continue to reflect on my research on this topic--not recent research...I remember reading that during an epileptic seizure, the patient's eyes remain open...Unfortunately, a long time ago, at a pharmacy, i witnessed such an incident...And indeed, the eyes of the patient remained open throughout the seizure...I was very young and scared, and i did not know how to help...

Many years after, to be specific, appx two years ago, my parents and i witnessed what appeared to be an epileptic seizure in the case of my beloved husband...From a seating position, he suddenly collapsed with tremendous force...At 6' ft. high and 190 lbs of lean muscle, it was loud and scary...This time i knew what to do...I immediately called on my brother to help me put him on his side while his whole body trembled...Interestingly, his eyes were shut closed throughout the seizure...I, immediately called the paramedics...My beloved husband (on the spectrum) recovered and appeared somewhat confused...When the paramedics arrived, they questioned him while they checked his vitals...He checked-out ok, so he declined to go with them to the hospital...

Afterwards, i questioned my husband about this, and he assured me that he had not experienced anything as such before...Although i want to believe him, to this day, i am not certain...Seizures, epileptic or not, leave the patient feeling confused, unable to explain what happened to him or her...How much more difficult it must be for someone on the spectrum...

Having said all of the above, should you be one of these patients who experiences seizures, have your close relatives and friends report to you if your eyes were shut closed or opened during the seizure...This could be crucial information for your specialist physician to ascertain an accurate diagnosis...Thank you for reading...And greetings to you all...

Autism and epilepsy are not really associated. Aspergers even less so.

Many non-autistic people are epileptic. Many who are outgoing and socially deft.

I don’t disagree that there might be genetic links.

What these studies DON’T indicate is the functioning level of the participants, and the comorbidities (e.g., chromosomal disorders) of the participants.

When someone speaks of “genetic links,” it puts fear into some people on this Site with autism. It makes them fear they might have some sort of “hidden epilepsy” which hasn’t manifested itself yet, and maybe a reduced lifespan.

I’m not faulting you. I’m faulting the studies which do not take into account the Spectrum aspects of autism.