Journal Article

Social Anxiety in High-functioning Children and Adolescents with Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Moilanen, Irma, Carter, Alice S., Ebeling, Hanna, Pauls, David L., Mattila, Marja-Leena, Jussila, Katja, Kuusikko, Sanna, Pollock-Wurman, Rachel

2008

Overview

We examined social anxiety and internalizing symptoms using the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C), the Social Anxiety Scale for Children -Revised (SASC-R), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in a sample of fifty-four high-functioning subjects with autism or Asperger syndrome (HFA/AS) ( M  = 11.2 ± 1.7 years) and 305 community subjects ( M  = 12.2 ± 2.2 years). Children and adolescents completed the SPAI-C and SASC-R, and their parents completed the CBCL Internalizing scale. Adolescents with HFA/AS scored higher than the community sample on all measures. Behavioural avoidance and evaluative social anxiety increased by age within the HFA/AS group, whereas behavioural avoidance decreased by age in control participants. Data support that HFA/AS in adolescents may be associated with clinically relevant social anxiety symptoms.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adolescent / Adolescents / Age Differences / Antisocial Behavior / Anxiety / Anxiety Disorders / Asperger Syndrome / Asperger Syndrome - diagnosis / Asperger Syndrome - epidemiology / Asperger Syndrome - psychology / Asperger's syndrome / Autism / Autistic adolescents / Autistic children / Autistic Disorder - diagnosis / Autistic Disorder - epidemiology / Autistic Disorder - psychology / Autistic spectrum disorders / Avoidance behavior / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Biological and medical sciences / Check Lists / Child / Child and School Psychology / Child Behavior / Child Behavior Checklist / Child clinical studies / Child Health / Children / Control Groups / Developmental disorders / Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders / Disabled children / Fear / Female / High functioning / Humans / Infantile autism / Internalization / Internalizing behaviour / Interpersonal Competence / Male / Measures / Measures (Individuals) / Medical sciences / Neurosciences / Original Paper / Parent Attitudes / Parent-Child Relations / Pediatrics / Phobic Disorders - diagnosis / Phobic Disorders - epidemiology / Phobic Disorders - psychology / Prevalence / Psychology / Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry / Psychopathology. Psychiatry / Public Health / Separation Anxiety / Social anxiety / Social Behavior / Surveys and Questionnaires / Symptoms (Individual Disorders) / Withdrawal (Psychology)