Up to 50% of children with a genetic disorder unrelated to autism are mistakenly diagnosed with the developmental disorder, and that can lead to inappropriate treatments that can worsen their condition.
About one in 2000 people are diagnosed with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, which can lead to developmental delays, social awkwardness and anxiety, among other symptoms. Because those symptoms overlap with some of the hallmark signs of autism, researchers say that anywhere from 20% to 50% of children with 22q, as the condition is called, are misdiagnosed with autism.
That can have serious implications for these patients, since behavior-based treatments designed to alleviate the social deficits of autism may actually exacerbate anxiety among those with the 22q genetic disorder.
Read the full, original story here: Genetic Condition Often Misdiagnosed As Autism
Additional Resources:
- The 22q11.2 Foundation
- “Study finds that a subset of children often considered to have autism may be misdiagnosed,” UC Davis Mind Institute
