Dyslexia and Autism: Is There a Connection?

An autism diagnosis may explain a child’s challenging behavior, but parents are often left wondering whether every symptom is autism related. To add to the confusion, autism is often found alongside other conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia, anxiety, and sometimes dyslexia. Language difficulties form part of communication deficits which is considered a core autism feature. This may be the reason parents feel confused: the source of your child’s difficulties may be autism related or he/she could have a comorbidity or co-existing condition in addition to his/her autism spectrum disorder which could account for language challenges. In an attempt to clarify some of the confusion, autism and dyslexia will be defined separately in this article. Then the common symptoms and challenges will be examined to see where the two conditions overlap. Research will be consulted to determine whether a child can be diagnosed with dyslexia and autism, or whether the two are mutually exclusive. Read More