Maybe your child is unusually bendy — double-jointed thumbs, legs that fold into positions that make other parents wince, a party trick they’re proud of. Maybe it’s less fun than that: frequent joint pain, ankles that give out, a body that seems to tire faster than other kids’. If your child is also autistic, you may have noticed these things tend to show up together, and wondered whether that’s a coincidence or something real. It’s real — and understanding the connection can change how you approach both the flexibility and the pain that can come with it.

What to Do Today

• If your child complains of joint pain, fatigues quickly during physical activity, or seems unusually flexible, mention it at their next appointment — specifically ask whether a hypermobility assessment (like the Beighton score) makes sense, not just a general checkup.
• Look for a cluster of signs together, not just flexibility alone: joint pain or dislocations, easy bruising, frequent stomachaches, dizziness on standing, or unusually soft/stretchy skin. Any one alone may be nothing; several together are worth raising with a doctor.
• If your child is a girl and hasn’t been evaluated for autism, mention significant joint hypermobility during the evaluation. Research has found an association between autism and generalized joint hypermobility, including in girls and women.
• Ask your pediatrician whether a referral to a geneticist, rheumatologist, or another appropriate specialist makes sense if hypermobility is significant or accompanied by pain.

What Is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?

Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of inherited connective tissue disorders that affect the strength and structure of tissues throughout the body. There are several subtypes, but common features include joint hypermobility, stretchy or fragile skin, easy bruising, chronic pain, and slow wound healing. Hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) are a related, often milder set of conditions that share the joint hypermobility without meeting full criteria for EDS — you may see both terms used, sometimes together as “EDS/HSD.”

The Research Connecting Them

The connection between EDS, ADHD, and autism is not just anecdotal — it’s been studied directly, with some genuinely striking findings. A 2021 Swedish study of 201 children with hypermobility spectrum disorders or hypermobile EDS found elevated rates of both ADHD and autism in this clinical group. The researchers concluded that children with HSD or hEDS may need to be routinely screened for neuropsychiatric symptoms.

The link may run in families. Research led by Emily Casanova found that more than 20% of mothers with EDS or a hypermobility spectrum disorder reported having an autistic child — a rate comparable to that reported by mothers who are autistic themselves. The researchers interpret this pattern as evidence of a possible familial link, with shared genetic, immune, and connective-tissue factors potentially playing a role.

That same research compared autistic women with and without generalized joint hypermobility and found the hypermobile group reported dramatically more co-occurring conditions: joint pain in 100% versus 29%, other chronic pain in 75% versus 31%, and roughly three times the rate of autoimmune conditions (45% versus 13%). Hormone-related conditions were elevated too. Painful periods, in particular, were reported by 85% of the hypermobile group compared to 28%. None of this means every autistic child with flexible joints will develop these conditions, but it does suggest hypermobility in autism isn’t just an isolated physical quirk. It tends to travel with a broader pattern worth knowing about.

The same research team, which includes autism researcher Manuel Casanova, has argued that joint hypermobility deserves attention as a potential clinical clue, particularly in autistic girls and women, who are more likely to be missed or diagnosed late.

None of this means EDS causes ADHD or autism, or that having one condition means a child will develop another. What the research does suggest is that these conditions may share underlying biological and familial factors, and that recognizing one may sometimes give clinicians a reason to look more closely for signs of the others.

Recognizing the Overlap 

Common EDS/hypermobility symptoms 

• Joint hypermobility, pain, or dislocations/subluxations
• Soft, stretchy, or easily bruised skin 
• Chronic fatigue and pain
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Slow wound healing

Where autism and hypermobility symptoms overlap

Sensory sensitivities, motor coordination difficulties, and low muscle tone show up in both conditions, which can make it hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Autonomic symptoms — things like an irregular heart rate, dizziness on standing, and GI discomfort — have also been reported alongside autism and hypermobility. Researchers are still working to understand how these conditions and symptoms may be related.

Assessing joint hypermobility typically starts with a physical exam. A clinician may use a tool such as the Beighton score to check flexibility across specific joints. A hands-on evaluation can help determine whether your child’s flexibility is simply part of how their body moves or something that deserves a closer look.

The Toll on Mental Health

Chronic pain, social isolation, and the daily friction of navigating two conditions at once can wear on a child’s mental health over time. Anxiety and depression are common in both EDS and autism separately, and the combination — physical pain compounded by the exhaustion of masking or explaining an invisible condition — can be genuinely heavy for a child or teenager to carry. Naming this explicitly, and treating mental health support as a real part of the care plan rather than an afterthought, matters as much as managing the physical symptoms.

Managing Both Conditions Together

A multidisciplinary team works best here — geneticists or rheumatologists for the EDS/hypermobility side, developmental specialists for autism, and shared support from occupational and physical therapists who understand both. The goal isn’t treating two separate conditions in parallel; it’s one coordinated plan that accounts for how they interact.

• Physical and occupational therapy: builds joint stability, muscle strength, and motor coordination while addressing sensory processing needs — useful for both conditions at once.
• Pain management: may include physiotherapy, bracing or supportive equipment, and in some cases medication, tailored to a child who may communicate pain differently.
• Sensory strategies: a sensory diet, sensory-friendly environments, deep pressure input (weighted blankets or compression garments), and noise-reducing tools may help with sensory processing challenges. These strategies should be individualized because sensory needs can vary considerably from one child to another. 
• Speech and behavioral therapy: addresses communication challenges and, where relevant, individualized behavioral support can help with skill-building and behaviors that interfere with daily life. 
• Psychological support: counseling or therapy can address anxiety, depression, or chronic-pain-related stress that often accompanies both conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does EDS or hypermobility cause autism?

No — neither causes the other. Research does show an association between autism and EDS or hypermobility spectrum disorders, and researchers are investigating shared genetic, immune, and connective-tissue factors that may help explain why they sometimes occur together. 

How is joint hypermobility diagnosed?

Assessing joint hypermobility typically starts with a physical exam. A clinician may use a tool such as the Beighton score to check flexibility across specific joints, while diagnosing EDS may require additional evaluation depending on the suspected subtype. 

Is there a cure?

No, but symptoms and challenges associated with both conditions can be managed with the right support. Treatment focuses on things like joint stability, pain relief, communication, daily functioning, and mental health support rather than trying to “cure” autism or an underlying connective-tissue disorder. 

The Whole Picture, Not Just One Piece of It

It’s easy to end up managing your child’s joints with one specialist and their autism with another, with nobody looking at how the two connect. That gap is exactly where things get missed. Treetop’s BCBAs coordinate with your child’s broader medical team so that pain, sensory needs, and behavior are understood as part of the same picture — not treated as unrelated problems that happen to be happening to the same kid.

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References

Kindgren, E., Quiñones Perez, A., & Knez, R. (2021). Prevalence of ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders or Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Retrospective Study. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 17, 379–388.

Casanova, E.L., Sharp, J.L., Edelson, S.M., Kelly, D.P., & Casanova, M.F. (2018). A Cohort Study Comparing Women with Autism Spectrum Disorder with and without Generalized Joint Hypermobility. Behavioral Sciences, 8(3), 35.

Ehlers-Danlos Society. Autism Acceptance Month. https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/autism-acceptance-month/

Autism Research Institute. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Autism. https://autism.org/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-and-autism/

Spectrum News. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can teach us about autism. https://www.spectrumnews.org/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-can-teach-us-about-autism/

NHS. Joint Hypermobility Syndrome. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/joint-hypermobility-syndrome/