EDS also known as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is not a type of autism.
EDS and autism are 2 distinct conditions.
EDS or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a group of genetic, physical disorders which affect your body's connective tissues, primarily the joints, skin and blood vessel walls.
And autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that results in differences in communication, problems with social interaction and sensory processing.
The age that EDS or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome usually starts is from birth, but the symptom onset of EDS or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is often in childhood or adolescence ages.
EDS or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome often also emerges during puberty.
The actual age of onset of EDS or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome varies.
EDS or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a genetic condition that is actually present from birth.
And for some subtypes of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, the signs may be noticeable as early as infancy, or remain mild enough that the symptoms or signs of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are not noticed until adulthood.
For Vascular EDS or (vEDS), it's a rarer and more severe subtype of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and initial symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome like severe, unexplained bruising might appear in childhood or even adolescence.
Although the most severe signs of vascular EDS or vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, like arterial or organ ruptures are usually the first major indicators and are frequently present in adulthood.
For hypermobile EDS or hEDS and Classical EDS, the signs like hypermobility or double jointedness, frequent joint dislocations and easily bruised, soft or stretchy skin will often appear in early childhood or puberty.
Although, these are also frequently dismissed as being growing pains or clumsiness, which is also why the diagnosis is often delayed until the person is in their 20s, 30s, or even their 40s.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is not a type of autism. EDS is a group of genetic connective tissue disorders that affect the skin, joints, and blood vessels.
In contrast, autism (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts, and perceives the world.
While they are entirely distinct conditions, clinical research shows a strong overlap and co-occurrence between EDS (particularly the hypermobile type, hEDS) and autism.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) can be passed down by either parent.
Because Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is an autosomal condition, the gene is not tied to a specific sex chromosome, meaning both mothers and fathers can carry and transmit it equally.
Autosomal Dominant Inheritance: The faulty gene only needs to be inherited from one parent to cause the condition.
If one parent has this type, each child has a 50% chance of developing EDS.
This applies to the most common type, Hypermobile EDS (hEDS), as well as Classical and Vascular EDS.
Autosomal Recessive Inheritance: The faulty gene must be inherited from both parents for the child to develop the condition (e.g., Kyphoscoliotic EDS).
If both parents are carriers, there is a 25% chance of the child having EDS in each pregnancy.
Spontaneous (De Novo) Mutations: It is also possible to be the first person in your family to have EDS due to a spontaneous gene change that was not inherited from either parent.