Catatonia as a presentation of autism in a child: a case report

Abstract

Catatonia commonly refers to a cluster of movement abnormalities, behaviour, volition and speech that has long been associated with psychiatric disorders in adults. Recent evidence suggests increasing prevalence in adolescents and older children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), but its occurrence in younger children is rare. Here we describe a 6-year-old boy presenting with catatonic autism, highlighting the diagnostic challenge and demonstrating the importance of timely assessment and management.

Keywords

• catatonia
• autism
• child
• lorazepam