Association of autism spectrum disorders and gastrointestinal infections in children

•Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are more likely to be diagnosed with gastrointestinal infections than children without ASD.•Daily living skill interventions such as hand-washing might mitigate the risk of gastrointestinal illness in ASD.•Identifying an association between ASD and gastrointestinal infections adds a potential way to improve the health of patients with ASD.