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. 2023 Oct;53(10):3891-3900.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-022-05674-0. Epub 2022 Jul 29.

Selective Mutism in Children With and Without an Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Sensory Avoidance in Mediating Symptoms of Social Anxiety

Amanda K Ludlow  1 , Clarissa Osborne  2 , Saskia Keville  2
Affiliations

Selective Mutism in Children With and Without an Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Sensory Avoidance in Mediating Symptoms of Social Anxiety

Amanda K Ludlow et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2023 Oct.

Abstract

The present study addressed the different contributors to social anxiety in children with Selective Mutism (SM), with and without co-occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (SM + ASD). Seventy-five parents completed an online composite questionnaire consisting of the symptoms of SM and ASD, anxiety and sensory measures. The results found the SM + ASD group showed significantly higher levels of social anxiety and sensory avoidance compared to the SM only group. However, a simple mediation model revealed sensory avoidance to be a mediator of this relationship between the diagnosis and social anxiety.. Therefore, higher levels of sensory avoidance may help to differentiate social anxiety between the groups and may also be a sign of ASD in children with SM who have and/or are yet to receive an ASD diagnosis.

Keywords: Anxiety; Autism spectrum disorder; Selective mutism; Sensory avoidance.

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