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. 2014 Nov;44(11):2851-61.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2141-7.

Traditional and atypical presentations of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder

Connor Morrow Kerns  1 , Philip C Kendall, Leandra Berry, Margaret C Souders, Martin E Franklin, Robert T Schultz, Judith Miller, John Herrington
Affiliations

Traditional and atypical presentations of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder

Connor Morrow Kerns et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

We assessed anxiety consistent (i.e., "traditional") and inconsistent (i.e., "atypical") with diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM) definitions in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Differential relationships between traditional anxiety, atypical anxiety, child characteristics, anxiety predictors and ASD-symptomology were explored. Fifty-nine participants (7-17 years, M(age) = 10.48 years; IQ > 60) with ASD and parents completed semi-structured interviews, self- and parent-reports. Seventeen percent of youth presented with traditional anxiety, 15 % with atypical anxiety, and 31 % with both. Language ability, anxious cognitions and hypersensitivity predicted traditional anxiety, whereas traditional anxiety and ASD symptoms predicted atypical anxiety. Findings suggest youth with ASD express anxiety in ways similar and dissimilar to DSM definitions. Similarities support the presence of comorbid anxiety disorders in ASD. Whether dissimilarities are unique to ASD requires further examination.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Rates of impairing (CSR ≥ 4) traditional and atypical anxiety (N = 59). Breakdown of youth with impairing (i.e., CSR ≥ 4) traditional and atypical anxiety. CSR = Clinician Severity Rating on Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule – Child/Parent Report.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Predictors of traditional and atypical anxiety. * = p < .05
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