The present study identifies the prevalence and types of comorbid psychiatric disorders associated with Asperger syndrome
(AS)/high-functioning autism (HFA) in a combined community- and clinic-based sample of fifty 9- to 16-year-old subjects using
the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Present and Lifetime Version. The level of
functioning was estimated using the Children’s Global Assessment Scale. The results support common (prevalence 74%) and often
multiple comorbid psychiatric disorders in AS/HFA; behavioral disorders were shown in 44%, anxiety disorders in 42% and tic
disorders in 26%. Oppositional defiant disorder, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders as comorbid conditions indicated
significantly lower levels of functioning. To target interventions, routine evaluation of psychiatric comorbidity in subjects
with AS/HFA is emphasized.
Keywords Comorbidity - CGAS - Asperger syndrome - Autism - Pervasive developmental disorders - Autism spectrum disorders