Autism and FND

[Lady4]

A paper that combined several studies to confirm that they can co-exist, definitely so in my child (undiagnosed).

tandfonline.com/doi/full/10...

Through education I learned that emotional processing and sensory sensitivities were key in his case.

I was watching a video by Re-Active by Julie who mentioned that Clinicians should be screening for FND in Autism and Autism in FND.

If there were any clues that a person with Autism could be susceptible to FND then maybe they can be to taught how to regulate stressful situations in advance (have the tools/strategies to hand) and not develop FND.

It also mentioned other co-morbid conditions such as EDS. POTS and MCAS (also occur more commonly in autism) and they should be screened for too, so they can make sure they are treating the whole person/conditions.

It made me wonder how many people receive these other diagnoses years down the line.

[Catlady1973]

Hi I've also got autism and fnd i have been told that its quite common for someone with autism to get fnd I've been trying to find out how why this happens so far I still don't know can't find anything, I don't get it

[Lady4 in reply to Catlady1973]

I would say it is probably to do with sensitivities and emotional processing.

[Catlady1973 in reply to Lady4]

Hi what is sensitivities whats emotional processing

[Lady4]

Hi there is a paragraph within the article that says:

"There is a clear overlap between attachment-related issues and alexithymia*, observed in both ASD and FND. Shared traits include cognitive rigidity**, fixation on bodily sensations, and perfectionism, which are key features of both conditions (Gulpek et al., Citation2014; Leonardi et al., Citation2020).

Theory of mind deficits***, central to autism, are also seen in FND, further linking the two disorders. Interoceptive differences play a major role in both, disrupting biological balance and self-awareness. (Edwards et al., Citation2012) suggest a Bayesian model for FND, where symptoms arise from conflicting sensory inputs and maladaptive beliefs, amplified by overfocused precision.

In autism, difference in sensory predictions complicate interpreting stimuli within this framework.

* Alexithym - unable to describe ones emotions

** cognitive rigidity - Cognitive rigidity refers to the difficulty in changing one's thinking or adapting to new information, often resulting in a stubborn adherence to previous beliefs or behaviors. It is the opposite of cognitive flexibility, which allows for easier adjustment to new ideas or situations.

*** Theory of mind (ToM) - conceptualizes communication differences (not deficits) between autistic and neurotypical individuals.

[Catlady1973]

hi sounds very complicated how's your son doing

[Lady4 in reply to Catlady1973]

Hi, its half term, so as far as I am aware, all good.

FND takes a while to get your head around everything.

[Catlady1973]

Hi fnd its just way over my head i can't believe how disabling this condition is its changed my life but glad thing good is your son verbal or non verbal I have a older brother who is non verbal autistic and im mild