The Link Between Hypermobility, EDS, and Autism: What the Research Now Tells Us

Estimated reading time: 9 minutesA 2025 review of over 20 scientific studies found nearly 4 in 10 autistic people meet the diagnostic criteria for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or Hypermobility Spectrum disorder (1).

For many of us with EDS or hypermobility, this will not come as a surprise, and the research is beginning to catch up with growing evidence that neurodivergence is linked to connective tissue disorders.

Neurodivergence is an umbrella term for neurological differences that affect how people think, feel, and experience the world.

This includes neurodevelopmental traits such as autism and ADHD, as well as dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome, and OCD, among others. Though research into hypermobility and some of these traits is still emerging (2, 3).

What is Hypermobility?

At a basic level, hypermobility is the ability of joints to stretch beyond the normal range of motion. On its own, hypermobility isn’t necessarily a problem and can be localized to one joint. However, it can be more than just being “flexible”.

When the hypermobility impacts many joints and is accompanied by pain, instability,  a variety of other system-wide symptoms, it may be indicative of a connective tissue disorder like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder.

Connective tissue is found all over the body. This includes fascia, ligaments, and even the lining of the digestive system, impacting more than just the joints. This can have an effect on many different systems, including the nervous system.

The Connection Between Hypermobility, EDS, and Autism

Autism is defined as a spectrum of neurodevelopmental conditions that begin in early childhood, though they may not be diagnosed until later in life. Autism is one type of neurodivergence often reported by both my hypermobile patients and in The Zebra Club.

It presents as differences in social and emotional interaction, sensory perception, and behavior (4). Autism exists on a spectrum with variability in symptoms, features, and support needs.

While many in the hypermobile community probably began to connect the dots earlier, research is beginning to link Autism and Hypermobility.

A recent systematic review of 20 studies found 15 that examined the link directly. They found four consistent themes (1):

1. There is a higher rate of joint hypermobility, EDS, or HSD among autistic people compared to controls
2. There is a higher rate of ASD among people with HSD or EDS
3. There is a higher rate of ASD among relatives of people with HSD or EDS
4. There is a higher rate of autistic traits among people with hypermobility (though not clinical)

Because the studies used different methods, the data couldn’t all be combined, but the pooled clinical prevalence for HSD/EDS in autistic samples was 39%.

What can be said is that autism is clearly more common among the hypermobile population than the typical 1% reported worldwide, and hypermobility is more common among autistic individuals than reported 20% of the general population (1,2)

A few stats reported from prior studies:

• Individuals with EDS are 7.4 times more likely to be autistic (4)
• There is a statistically significant relationship between Autism and GJH (Generalized Joint Hypermobility) in a case-control comparison (5)
• In one study of Neurodivergent individuals, 51% had hypermobility compared to 17.5% in the non-neurodivergent comparison population (Neurodivergence included autism, ADHD, and Tourette’s syndrome)(6)

Autism is not the only form of neurodivergence that is linked to hypermobility. People with ADHD are also 7x more likely to have symptomatic generalized joint hypermobility (5). Dyspraxia/Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is also associated with joint hypermobility syndrome.

A large 2025 survey of nearly 3,400 people with hEDS found that 49% self reported at least one neurodivergent diagnosis. ADHD, autism, and OCD were the most commonly mentioned (3).

This mirrors what many members of The Zebra Club report: neurodivergence in this community rarely comes as a single diagnosis.

Understanding the Genetic Link

While hEDS/HSD are thought to be inherited conditions, the genes responsible for this connective tissue disorder are unknown. The same can be said for autism (7).

Interestingly, the likelihood of developing autism in individuals with EDS is thought to be genetic and/or environmental because siblings of patients studied also had elevated risk (4).

One study found that 20% of mothers with hEDS/HSD had a child with autism, which is similar to the rate of autistic mothers, indicating a potential genetic link (8, 9)

There appears to be no agreement on why autism and hypermobility occur together. Ideas range from nervous system variances stemming from connective tissue differences, differences in brain structure, immunological dysfunction, endocrine and hormone dysregulation, and more (7).

Autism can present differently in women

In the Zebra Club community, we held a meet-up for our neurodivergent members. We learned that many of these members are women who were diagnosed with autism later in life. What I want to know is why it takes so long for women to become aware of autism.

Why does it take women so long to get a diagnosis when they seek one out?

This is not just our observation. Statistically, females have a greater delay in accessing mental health care and a higher age at diagnosis (10).

This is not to say men do not face diagnostic delays as well. This delay in diagnosing women may be due to several reasons, including an underrepresentation in both research and clinical settings. The diagnostic criteria were also traditionally based on the male stereotype (11).

Another reason for the male bias is that females on the autism spectrum may present differently, especially in women with lower support needs (12). Some examples of differences include:

• Ability to camouflage and compensate, also known as masking
• Strong desire for social relationships and friendships
• More typical behavior in play – strong imaginations
• More skilled at observing and imitating peers
• Less stereotyped, restrictive, and repetitive behaviors

Research published in 2025 found that people diagnosed with autism later in life were more likely to have co-occurring conditions like ADHD and anxiety that masked the autism diagnosis. This pattern is familiar to many hypermobile women who receive anxiety or depression diagnoses long before either autism or EDS is identified (13).

Proprioception, interoception, hypermobility, and autism

There are also differences in interoception and proprioception that can be associated with both neurodivergence and hEDS/HSD.

What is proprioception?

Proprioception is the sense of where the body is in space. Both neurodivergence and hypermobility are linked to developmental differences in proprioception. This can manifest as coordination issues, differences in gait, and differences in the sensation of feeling a joint move through range of motion (2).

Eccles et al. highlight proprioception as especially significant for neurodivergent people, sitting at the boundary between how we sense our own body and how we navigate the external world.

Their 2024 study found a relationship between hypermobility, neurodivergence, proprioceptive surprise, and emotional dysregulation. Basically, neurodivergence is linked to proprioceptive surprise, or signals sent from the body don’t match what the brain predicted.

These unexpected signals contribute to emotional dysregulation. They argue that it’s a bottom-up signal process that impacts the emotional experience, meaning the body’s experience is shaping the emotional response.

When hypermobility is added to the picture, it enhances the proprioceptive surprise – the looser connective tissue means joins move beyond what the brain expected, which leads to even more emotional dysregulation.

The good news is that authors state that for hypermobile individuals, proprioception can be improved with muscle strength and movement training(2).

What is interoception?

Interoception is the sense of what is going on inside our bodies. It’s how we “notice, process, and understand” these signals (14).

For a while now, it has been demonstrated that there are differences in interoception in autistic people. This is linked to the accuracy of detection and sensitivity to internal sensations (15).

A more recent 2026 study assessed three different aspects of interoception – how accurately one detects the signals, how much attention one pays to them, and how negatively one interprets them.

They found the only main difference in their autism group compared to controls was that they interpreted internal signals more negatively (14).

They pointed out that experiences of interoception within the autistic group are likely quite different person to person. The example they used was that someone could be hypersensitive to their heartbeat but miss hunger signals, and that these extremes could cancel each other out, making the differences in how accurately signals are detected difficult to measure.

Interoception differences have also been reported in hypermobility, which is characterized by enhanced sensitivity to sensations that contribute to anxiety. Interestingly, dysregulation of the peripheral autonomic nervous system may contribute to unreliable signals to the brain that then struggle to interpret them accurately (16).

What happens when both are affected?

For someone who is both autistic and hypermobile, these two systems may have a compound effect:  proprioceptive surprise from joints that move beyond what the brain predicted, and interoceptive signals that are interpreted more negatively or less accurately.

When the nervous system is managing uncertainty from both directions simultaneously, this may help explain why anxiety, sensory overwhelm, and difficulty identifying pain accurately are so commonly reported in this community.

The connection between hypermobility, EDS, and anxiety

Hypermobility is also linked to anxiety. In fact, in one study of subjects with panic disorder, 62% had joint hypermobility syndrome (17). Both interoceptive differences and imprecise proprioceptive signals have been linked to triggering or intensifying feelings of anxiety (2)

Dr. Jessica Eccles joined me on my podcast to share more about her research into the link between anxiety and hypermobility.

Dr. Eccles shared, “The really striking result was the difference in structure (between hypermobile people and non-hypermobile controls) on both sides of the brain in the amygdala, which is a part of the brain that is involved in emotional processing, fear responses, anxiety, and also is linked to autonomic control as well.”

While there seems to be a biological reason the hypermobile community is more likely to experience anxiety, this may only be one factor at play. I’d also be remiss if we didn’t address the impact on anxiety that comes with living with a condition that is not readily diagnosed or believed.

I delve into the toll this can take in my video “It’s just anxiety.”

Support for Hypermobility

Here are a variety of resources to find support:

Movement Professionals Trained in The Integral Movement Method
The Ehlers-Danlos Society EDS & HSD Helpline
The Ehlers-Danlos Society Healthcare Professionals Directory 
Ehlers-Danlos Support UK
SEDS Connective: Support for Neurodivergent people with symptomatic hypermobility

The Zebra Club is a movement and wellness community platform built specifically for people with hypermobility, EDS, and chronic pain. Join us for movement, education, and a community that understands.

Future directions: research and advocacy for hypermobility syndromes

Hypermobility and neurodivergence are both frequently missed or overlooked, and the prevalence is likely higher for both (2). Research in this area is growing with scientists increasingly recognising the connections between connective tissue, the nervous system, and neurodevelopment — connections that this community has understood from lived experience for much longer.

I am happy to belong to a wonderful community of clinicians, researchers, and activists who passionately advocate and advance research for the hypermobile community.

As Dr. Eccles said in our The Zebra Club Member meet-up in February 2023,
“We need to think more about hypermobility. We need to think more about neurodivergence. And we need to think more about tailoring our approaches in medicine, healthcare, and education to meet the needs of either hypermobile or neurodivergent people and work together to improve access to personalized healthcare.”

Want to stay up to date as the research on hypermobility evolves? Sign up for Jeannie’s newsletter for accessible science, movement tips, and community updates.

Here is an episode of my podcast where I was joined by Dr. Eccles.  She discusses her research on the connection between connective tissue disorders, fatigue, anxiety, and trauma. Zebra Club members can find a more recent discussion with her in the Expert Insights section of the platform.

FAQ

Is hypermobility a sign of autism?

Hypermobility is not a sign of autism on its own, though the two co-occur far more than chance would suggest. A 2025 review of 20 studies found that around 31% of autistic people have clinically assessed joint hypermobility.

Why does hypermobility cause anxiety?

Hypermobility is linked to anxiety through several biological pathways, including structural differences in the amygdala, the part of the brain involved in fear and emotional processing. Imprecise proprioceptive signals and interoceptive differences may also keep the nervous system in a heightened state. Living with a condition that is frequently dismissed or misdiagnosed adds another layer.

Is autism linked to hypermobility?

Yes, and the evidence is growing. A 2025 review of 20 studies found that around 39% of autistic people meet criteria for EDS or HSD when clinically assessed. Hypermobility is significantly more common in autistic people than in the general population.

Is there a link between EDS and autism?

Yes, there is a well-documented link between EDS and autism. A 2016 Swedish study found people with EDS were 7.4 times more likely to be autistic than the general population, and a 2025 review of 20 studies confirmed the association.

What is the connection between proprioception, interoception, and hypermobility?

Proprioception and interoception are both affected by hypermobility, and both are also different in autism. Proprioception is the sense of where the body is in space. In hypermobility, lax joints send imprecise signals to the brain. Interoception, the ability to read internal body signals, is also different in both conditions, and difficulties in either can contribute to anxiety and sensory overwhelm.

Why is autism diagnosed later in women with hypermobility?

Autism is frequently diagnosed later in women because diagnostic criteria were historically based on how the condition presents in males. Women are also more likely to mask autistic traits, which can delay recognition. Many hypermobile women face the same delays with EDS.

What disorders are associated with hypermobility?

Hypermobility is associated with a range of conditions, including EDS, MCAS, dysautonomia, sleep disorders, and ME/CFS. Neurodivergent people, including those with autism and ADHD, are also significantly more likely to have hypermobility than the general population.

Jeannie Di Bon

Jeannie Di Bon is a movement therapist, educator and author specializing in hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and chronic pain. She is the founder of The Zebra Club app and the creator of the Integral Movement Method.

Catherine Nation

Catherine Nation, MS, PhD, holds a Master of Science in Biological Sciences and a doctorate in Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. As Marketing Content Manager at The Zebra Club and a member of the EDS community, she applies her scientific background to making complex research on hypermobility and neurodivergence accessible and accurate.

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