Autism and psychotic episodes

You don't give his age - it might be useful.

As far as I am aware, the psychiatrists etc still link autism to schizophrenia, even though only a few individuals might develop the latter in association with autism. So they are always looking for signs.

Trouble is I don't think there's enough understanding of autism in the day to day terms of a sufficient variety of individuals to actually know whether strange behaviours arise merely from autism, or from some developing psychosis.

However if you are solitary or excluded, with little or no social referencing - it is likely you live in your own mind a lot, so unorthodox behaviours along the lines of imaginary friends,being influenced by imaginary friends or spending too much time in imaginary worlds can easily he read as hearing voices, having delusions etc. Routines and rituals can be seen as something more serious, and special interests can be perceived as obsessions.

I caused much concern in later primary school because I did not mix with other kids but wandered around alone and talked about imaginary companions a great deal. The fact I was being bullied and excluded a lot didn't figure in the interpretations of advisers, and there wasn't an obvious diagnosis then - so I had a very close shave with being diagnosed and treated for something serious or taken out of education. But it was a passing phase. And if no-one will talk to you or play with you, and it was in those days considered must be the fault of the affected individual, it probably is understandable everyone over-reacted.

I still recall a lot of what I talked about, so I can understand why they got worried.

Therefore it still alarms me that 55 years on I still read about young people on the spectrum being attributed with psychotic episodes. Yes real psychotic episodes may develop as a co-morbid condition with autism, but how often I wonder are such assumptions arising from lack of adequate understanding of how autism affects individuals.

I read somewhere about a boy on the spectrum who, when asked if he heard voices, responded yes. But he probably meant he could hear when other people were speaking.

I guess you have to be prepared for the possibility there is some psychotic problem developing. But at the same time there still seems to be a misunderstanding about what happens to children when they are socially isolated and forced to live too much in their own heads.

Have they explained what sort of psychotic episodes they perceive are happening? Is it something predictable for autism?

You don't give his age - it might be useful.

As far as I am aware, the psychiatrists etc still link autism to schizophrenia, even though only a few individuals might develop the latter in association with autism. So they are always looking for signs.

Trouble is I don't think there's enough understanding of autism in the day to day terms of a sufficient variety of individuals to actually know whether strange behaviours arise merely from autism, or from some developing psychosis.

However if you are solitary or excluded, with little or no social referencing - it is likely you live in your own mind a lot, so unorthodox behaviours along the lines of imaginary friends,being influenced by imaginary friends or spending too much time in imaginary worlds can easily he read as hearing voices, having delusions etc. Routines and rituals can be seen as something more serious, and special interests can be perceived as obsessions.

I caused much concern in later primary school because I did not mix with other kids but wandered around alone and talked about imaginary companions a great deal. The fact I was being bullied and excluded a lot didn't figure in the interpretations of advisers, and there wasn't an obvious diagnosis then - so I had a very close shave with being diagnosed and treated for something serious or taken out of education. But it was a passing phase. And if no-one will talk to you or play with you, and it was in those days considered must be the fault of the affected individual, it probably is understandable everyone over-reacted.

I still recall a lot of what I talked about, so I can understand why they got worried.

Therefore it still alarms me that 55 years on I still read about young people on the spectrum being attributed with psychotic episodes. Yes real psychotic episodes may develop as a co-morbid condition with autism, but how often I wonder are such assumptions arising from lack of adequate understanding of how autism affects individuals.

I read somewhere about a boy on the spectrum who, when asked if he heard voices, responded yes. But he probably meant he could hear when other people were speaking.

I guess you have to be prepared for the possibility there is some psychotic problem developing. But at the same time there still seems to be a misunderstanding about what happens to children when they are socially isolated and forced to live too much in their own heads.

Have they explained what sort of psychotic episodes they perceive are happening? Is it something predictable for autism?