Relationship between Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the Severity of Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The present study investigates the relationship between attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and the severity of symptoms in children with autistic spectrum disorder.
The study was conducted on 80 patients with autistic spectrum disorder visiting Child Psychiatric Clinic of Tehran Psychiatric Institute. The severity of autistic symptoms was measured by sensory profile questionnaire. The Conner's Adult ADHD Rating Scales–Self Report: Screening Version (CAARS–S:SV) and CSI questionnaire were used to determine the severity of ADHD. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient through SPSS v.20.
Findings: There is a significant correlation between total scores of Sensory profile and its subscales and total scores of CAARS and CSI (r >.5, P There is a significant correlation between ADHD and severity of symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder. Both disorders can increase the severity of symptoms and exacerbate the patients’ recovery process.