Margaret Bauman, MD, discusses medical comorbidities associated with autism and how they affect behavior and quality of life. She outlines some common physical comorbidities, including seizure (1:41), sleep (2:18), hormonal (2:47), urinary (3:00), and gastrointestinal (3:33) disorders, and details how these issues present differently in autistic individuals (1:30). Bauman describes our understanding of challenging behaviors in autism as a form of communication (1:00) and highlights the importance of knowing the signs (6:50).

Individuals with communication difficulties may not be able to describe what hurts or where (4:00). Similarly, sensory issues make it difficult for individuals to determine what is happening in their bodies (5:18). Therefore, Bauman recommends, “… individuals on the spectrum who demonstrate behavioral problems absolutely merit a good physical [and] medical workup (6:41)…. [and] gastrointestinal disorders… need to be one of the first areas of investigation (4:45).” She also suggests that providers who have experience working with individuals with autism be recruited to help create necessary interventions and best outcomes (7:46).