Alexithymia and its Link to Autism

Abstract

Alexithymia is common, rather than universal, with notably high rates of overlap with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Co-occurring autism and alexithymia represent a specific subgroup in the ASD population who may have specific clinical needs. There is evidence of its overlap with ASD in terms of prevalence, etiology, and behaviors. Emerging evidence has found that alexithymia may also play a role as both cause and consequence of ASD in a feedforward cycle between alexithymia and ASD symptomatology. Over the last two decades the association between alexithymia and autism spectrum disorder ASD has attracted significant attention – there has been a surge in the number of studies aimed at investigating the relationship between these conditions, including from a theoretical and etiological point of view, as well as for clinical and therapeutic practices. The ongoing studies and research aiming to understand how autism affects face perception need also to consider the contribution of alexithymia. Here we review the description of Alexithymia and its relationship to ASD. Our first aim is to provide a brief definition then focus on the relationship between ASD and alexithymia, including clarifying when and how they originate, as well as their overlap in terms of etiology and features, and suggest clinically useful constructs and interventions. Key words: Autism, ASD, Alexithymia, Emotions