Has this person ever been diagnosed with or received treatment for Bipolar Disorder?

Questionnaire: Child with ASD
Date Last Updated: 6/17/08
Graph Current as of: 6/17/08

Why Is This Important?

Bipolar Disorder, formerly called "manic depression", is a  psychiatric condition characterized by extreme swings of mood over time, from an energized, unrealistic, and euphoric state of mind to severe depression and back again.  In children, this can look very different, involving extreme irritability and tantrums.  Researchers want to find out how many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, who often have volatile moods, including extreme irritability that sometimes leads to "meltdowns," have actually been diagnosed with or treated for Bipolar Disorder. 

Data from IAN Research:

This chart shows that only 3% of the children in IAN Research with an Autism Spectrum Disorder have also been diagnosed, at some point in their lives, with Bipolar Disorder.  It is interesting to note, however, that when we consider only children age 10 and older, that figure goes up to 9%, as shown below.

A related chart compares how often children in IAN Research with a diagnosis of Autism, PDD-NOS, or Asperger's Syndrome have been diagnosed with or treated for ADHD or ADD, Depression, Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder.