There are comorbidities or other diagnoses that prominently co-occur with Down syndrome. Because having Hirschsprungs Disease + Down syndrome is hard enough as it is; additional medical, intellectual or physical disabilities can add even further complications.
Awareness and education are key when managing multiple diagnoses:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
If your child has HD+DS+ASD, communication may be your biggest hurdle. It’s important to ask for help, get signed up for the appropriate therapies, seek out community and take care of yourself.
Can a person with Down syndrome also have autism?
Yes! In fact, about 16-18% of people with Down syndrome also have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Richards et al., 2015). However, it is important to know that:
Like autistic people, people with Down syndrome have a range of skills and vary in achieving developmental milestones
The common characteristics of autism may appear differently in people who also have Down syndrome
People with Down syndrome without autism may have some similar behaviors to people with autism
Strategies and interventions that help autistic people can also often help those with Down syndrome
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is well known to be associated with significantly high rates of gastrointestinal problems, with constipation being a common issue. This imposes a significant burden on both the child and the family. Due to multiple underlying factors, diagnosing and managing constipation in children with ASD is much more challenging than in neurotypical children. Higher rates of emergency hospital visits and subsequent admissions further complicate the situation. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize and address constipation as a problem in children with ASD.