Autism Spectrum Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An unexplored co-occurrence of conditions.
One in three autistic adults meets PTSD criteria—screen every client, especially women with social trauma histories.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bauminger-Zviely et al. (2020) compared PTSD rates in adults with and without autism.
They asked about social trauma and checked who met PTSD cut-offs.
The team also looked at whether women with autism were hit harder.
What they found
One in three adults with autism screened positive for PTSD.
That is eight times the rate seen in non-autistic adults.
Women on the spectrum carried the heaviest load of social trauma.
How this fits with other research
Melegari et al. (2025) extends the same link to car-crash trauma.
They found autistic adults also get more PTSD after motor accidents.
Together the two papers show the risk is broad, not just social.
Nah et al. (2018) add that four in ten autistic adults also flag high on anxiety and depression scales.
The picture is clear: co-occurring conditions pile up, so screen for all of them.
Why it matters
If you serve autistic adults, add a quick PTSD screen to intake.
Watch females closely; they report more social trauma.
A simple checklist can catch trauma early and guide your treatment plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder show an increased risk of experiencing traumatic events, particularly social victimization. However, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder co-occurrence was hardly studied. We examined exposure to traumatic life events and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder vs typical adults. Two groups took part in this study: Twenty-five adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and 25 typical adults of similar age and male to female ratio. Participants completed questionnaires on potentially traumatic life events of social and non-social nature, as well as on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms related to their most distressing event. Participants also filled out an autism traits questionnaire. Results showed a higher Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder rate in the Autism Spectrum Disorder group (32%) compared with the typical group (4%). Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder reported more Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, particularly re-experiencing and increased physiological arousal, compared with typical adults, although the latter was elevated only in females with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially females, reported more negative life events, particularly social events, than typical adults. Sixty percent of Autism Spectrum Disorder participants, but only 20% of typical participants, chose a social event as their most distressing event. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder who were also suspected as having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (based on their questionnaires) presented poorer social skills compared with those with Autism Spectrum Disorder alone. Results indicate that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder are more susceptible to trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, particularly due to social stressors. Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder may be especially vulnerable to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2020 · doi:10.1177/1362361320912143