Gastro-Intestinal Problems and Autism

Statistics

It is difficult to know how many people on the autism spectrum suffer from GI problems because the evidence is mixed and confusing. A study by Erkison and others (2005), which reviewed more than 70 other studies, stated that the actual rate could be anything between 17% and 86%.

There are some scientific studies which claim that a significant number of people on the autism spectrum have GI problems. For example

• “Three surveys conducted in the United States described high prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autistic disorder.” (Horvarth, 2002).

And there are some studies which claim that GI problems are no more prevalent in people on the autism spectrum than in other people.

• “No evidence was found that children with autism were more likely than children without autism to have had defined gastrointestinal disorders at any time before their diagnosis of autism.” (Black, 2000)

The study by Erkison concluded that it was impossible to know for sure because

• ‘There is a lack of published rigorous data to support increased GI symptomatology in autistic children.’

Of course, this does not mean that there are not many people on the  autism spectrum who also have GI problems. It means that there is a lack of scientifically valid and reliable data to show that this is the case.

Updated

29 Feb 2016