Although prevalence rates vary from 11% to 84%, most studies indicate that approximately one-half of children with ASD meet criteria for at least one anxiety disorder. Of all types of anxiety disorders, specific phobia is the most common, with prevalence estimates ranging from 31% to 64%.
Common conditions associated with anxiety for children with autism include: Phobias, or intense, irrational fears of specific things. In children with autism, such phobias can arise from heightened sensory stimulation such as loud noises (for example, fear of popping balloons at an early age can develop into a phobia).
Morag Maskey and colleagues note that anxiety is one of the most common problems for individuals with ASD, and that many individuals with ASD have specific phobias—such as a fear of dogs, elevators, airports, or balloons—that interfere significantly with daily life.
The most common unusual fear was fear of toilets, and the most common category was fear of mechanical things. Amazingly, many of the fears reported in our sample were described in children with autism 70 years ago by Kanner, including fear of vacuum cleaners, elevators, mechanical toys, swings, and the wind.
72). Odd and intense fears are found in 40% of children with autism (Mayes, 2012, Mayes et al., 2012), whereas unusual fears are present in only 0–5% of children without autism, including children with a learning disability, language disorder, ADHD, mental retardation, and typical development.
Difficult social situations and sensory environments can increase stress and increase anxiety for autistic people. Another significant cause of anxiety is a sense of being misunderstood and/or not accepted by non-autistic people. To 'fit in' and not be seen as different, autistic people might mask or camouflage.
Is Anxiety An Important Problem In Autism? Although anxiety is not considered a core feature of ASD, 40% of young people with ASD have clinically elevated levels of anxiety or at least one anxiety disorder, including obsessive compulsive disorder.
Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers. For many younger children it's Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs or particular cartoon characters.
Toddlers with autism show less fear when confronted with something scary than do typical children or those with developmental delay. This lack of fear may explain why toddlers with autism often run into traffic or deep bodies of water.
People with autism are non-judgmental. Because individuals with autism have a literal perception of the world, they tend to take things at face value without judging or interpreting them.
Childhood disintegrative disorder.
This was the rarest and most severe part of the spectrum. It described children who develop normally and then quickly lose many social, language, and mental skills, usually between ages 2 and 4. Often, these children also developed a seizure disorder.
Unexpected changes are often most difficult to deal with. Autistic people may not be comfortable with the idea of change, but may be able to manage it better if they can prepare for changes in advance.
* Medication to decrease anxiety and phobias can be helpful for some children. Further, working with a mental health counselor, behavioral consultant, and/ or occupational therapist can also be beneficial.
Although scientists are still trying to understand why some people develop autism and others don't, risk factors may include: A sibling with autism. Older parents. Certain genetic conditions, such as Down, fragile X, and Rett syndromes.
find it hard to communicate and interact with other people. find it hard to understand how other people think or feel. find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable. get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events.
Many autistic people enjoy spending time alone and consider it important for their wellbeing. Loneliness is different though. You might feel lonely if you don't have opportunities to socialise, or find this difficult. You might have friends/colleagues but feel misunderstood, or like you cannot be yourself around them.
Many biological conditions can lead to social difficulties, including autism. However, not all autistic individuals will display social awkwardness (though they may struggle inwardly). Moreover, not everyone who is socially awkward is autistic. And, in fact, they don't necessarily have a diagnosable condition.
Individuals with Autism experience fears and phobias more often than typically developed individuals and towards a larger variety of stimuli. Fears and phobias experienced by those with Autism are significant, persistent and interfere in their daily lives.
Often individuals with autism struggle to make friends because they're fearful of being vulnerable, experiencing social anxiety, and struggle with the social skills necessary to make new friends.
All individuals with ASD exhibit social communication impairments. In the first few years of life, salient signs of autism include lack of appropriate eye contact and inability to initiate or respond to joint attention (i.e., sharing social experiences with a communication partner).
Sensory overload, changes in routine, social isolation, co-occurring conditions, and lack of support can all exacerbate the symptoms of autism. However, with early intervention, therapy, and support, individuals with autism can manage these challenges and improve their quality of life.
Non-autistic people tend to assess concepts before details, also known as top-down thinking. Autistic people take the opposite approach with bottom-up thinking and use details to build concepts. It may take longer to filter out sensory details with this approach, but you're less likely to miss important information.
About anxiety in autistic children and teenagers
These include things like: small disruptions to their routines or new sensations they feel in their bodies. unfamiliar or unpredictable social situations. situations where it's hard to know what other people are thinking or feeling.