Introduction: A wide spectrum of psychiatric disorders are frequently diagnosed in children with autism. This significantly increases the burden of the condition. These comorbidities are often unidentified and unaddressed but affect functioning and overall quality of life.  The study is to investigate the distribution of psychiatric co-morbidities in individuals with autism. There is a need for early identification to plan effective interventions.

Methods: Retrospective data analysis of 30 patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria (age range 3–17 years and met DSM-V criteria for ASD and other psychiatric disorders) were assessed for Autism and other child psychiatric disorders.  Parent rated standardized measures to confirm autism, mood and behavior rating scales and parent reports were analyzed.

Results: 60 percent of subjects had at least one comorbid disorder and 13 percent had two or more. The most common diagnoses were attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (36.6%), social anxiety disorder (13 %) and oppositional defiant disorder (10%).  83.6% of cases subjectively reported mood and behavior difficulties (irritability, anger outbursts, academic complaints).

Conclusions: The high prevalence of various psychiatric disorders identified with autism are consistent with previous studies. No effective medical treatments are available that improve the core symptoms of autism, but there are treatments (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) for many of the comorbid psychiatric disorders. Early identification, monitoring, and appropriate intervention based on comorbid condition will help to improve functional status and progress of children with ASD.