The Relationship Between Autism and DID

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We want to share some insights into how autism and dissociative identity disorder intersect, based on our personal experiences and research. This isn't medical advice, but rather a down-to-earth look at living with these neurodivergences.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social interaction, communication, and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. 

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), on the other hand, is a complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) that develops as a response to chronic, severe trauma, usually in childhood. It involves disruptions in consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, and behavior.

DID can be categorized into two types based on its origins: endogenic and traumagenic.

Traumagenic DID is the more commonly understood form, resulting from severe, prolonged trauma. The mind splits off traumatic memories and associated emotions, creating distinct identities or "alters" to protect the core self from overwhelming pain.

Endogenic DID, however, is less discussed. It refers to DID that arises not from external trauma, but from internal factors. For autistic individuals, this could be due to the chronic stress and sensory overload that often accompany autism. The constant need to mask autistic traits to fit into neurotypical environments can also contribute to the development of alters.

Living with autism can heighten the risk of developing DID in several ways:

1. Sensory Overload: Autistic individuals often experience sensory sensitivities that can be overwhelming. Chronic exposure to sensory overload can lead to dissociation as a coping mechanism.
2. Social Challenges: The difficulties autistic people face in understanding and navigating social interactions can lead to feelings of isolation and vulnerability, increasing the risk of trauma.
3. Masking: The practice of masking autistic traits to appear neurotypical is mentally exhausting and can contribute to the development of alters as a way to compartmentalize the stress.

Healing from DID is a complex process that can be further complicated by autism. Here are some challenges I've faced:

1. Communication Barriers: DID involves multiple identities, each with their own experiences, memories, and communication styles. As an autistic person, I sometimes struggle to understand and integrate these different perspectives.
2. Sensory Sensitivities: Therapy techniques like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can be overwhelming for autistic individuals due to sensory sensitivities. Finding a therapist who understands both autism and DID is crucial.
3. Executive Dysfunction: Autistic individuals often struggle with executive dysfunction, which can make it difficult to stay consistent with therapy and self-care routines.
4. Stigma and Misunderstanding: Both autism and DID are often misunderstood and stigmatized. The intersection of these conditions can make it even harder to find support and understanding.

Because healing from DID as an autistic individual presents unique challenges, coping strategies are offered throughout this website.

If you are interesting learning more about autism and dissociative identity disorder, we’ve included a number of videos below so that you can easily educate yourself (scroll down). Also, the website DID-Research.org contains tons of educational information. We’d like to recommend some books, too.

Books about neurodivergence and autism:

• Divergent Mind
• Living Well On the Spectrum
• The Highly Sensitive Person

Books about DID:

• Got parts?
• Multiple Personality Disorder From the Inside Out

Autobiographies by people with DID (please be warned that these books are filled with triggering content):

• When Rabbit Howls
• Silencing the Voices
• The Flock