Unusual fears in children with autism

Mayes, Susan Dickerson; Calhoun, Susan L.; Aggarwal, Richa; Baker, Courtney N.; Mathapati, Santosh; Molitoris, Sarah; Mayes, Rebecca D.

doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2012.08.002

Cited by 73 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…These symptoms have long been associated with a diagnosis of ASD (Gotham et al, 2013; Kanner, 1943; Lord et al, 1994; Mayes et al, 2013), but their correct classification as core or co-occurring features of the disorder has been debated (Kerns & Kendall, 2012). Interrater agreement regarding the presence of ambiguous anxiety symptoms in the present study was as strong as for DSM -consistent syndromes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule–Autism Addendum: Reliability and Validity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Kerns

Renno

Kendall

et al. 2016

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

122

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Objective Assessing anxiety in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is inherently challenging due to overlapping (e.g., social avoidance) and ambiguous symptoms (e.g., fears of change). An ASD addendum to the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule–Child/Parent, Parent Version (ADIS/ASA) was developed to provide a systematic approach for differentiating traditional anxiety disorders from symptoms of ASD and more ambiguous, ASD-related anxiety symptoms. Method Inter-rater reliability and convergent and discriminant validity were examined in a sample of 69 youth with ASD (8–13 years, 75% male, IQ:68–143) seeking treatment for anxiety. The parents of participants completed the ADIS/ASA and a battery of behavioral measures. A second rater independently observed and scored recordings of the original interviews. Results Findings suggest reliable measurement of comorbid (ICC=0.85–0.98; κ =0.67–0.91) as well as ambiguous anxiety-like symptoms (ICC=0.87–95, κ=0.77–0.90) in children with ASD. Convergent and discriminant validity were supported for the traditional anxiety symptoms on the ADIS/ASA, whereas convergent and discriminant validity were partially supported for the ambiguous anxiety-like symptoms. Conclusions Results provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the ADIS/ASA as a measure of traditional anxiety categories in youth with ASD, with partial support for the validity of the ambiguous anxiety-like categories. Unlike other measures, the ADIS/ASA differentiates comorbid anxiety disorders from overlapping and ambiguous anxiety-like symptoms in ASD, allowing for more precise measurement and clinical conceptualization. Ambiguous anxiety-like symptoms appear phenomenologically distinct from comorbid anxiety disorders and may reflect either symptoms of ASD or a novel variant of anxiety in ASD.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule–Autism Addendum: Reliability and Validity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Kerns

Renno

Kendall

et al. 2016

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

122

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“…All three of these articles were published in the United States between 1990 and 2011 and were two cross-sectional studies and one case–control study. In these studies, females with ASD had more specific phobias than males with ASD (Gadow and DeVincent, 2012; Matson and Love, 1990) and more unusual fears (Mayes et al, 2013). One study conducted by Matson and Love (1990) found more fear in typically developing female children compared to male children and no significant difference in fear between typically developing female children and female children with ASD.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

A Review of the Differences in Developmental, Psychiatric, and Medical Endophenotypes Between Males and Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2014

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is over four times more prevalent in males compared to females. Increased understanding of sex differences in ASD endophenotypes could add insight into possible etiologies and the assessment and management of the disorder. Consequently, the purpose of this review is to describe current literature regarding sex differences in the developmental, psychiatric, and medical endophenotypes of ASD in order to illustrate current knowledge and areas in need of further research. Our review found that repetitive behaviors and restricted interests are more common in males than females with ASD. Intellectual disability is more common in females than males with ASD. Attention to detail may be more common in males than females with ASD and epilepsy may be more common in females than males with ASD, although limited research in these areas prevent definitive conclusions from being drawn. There does not appear to be a sex difference in other developmental, psychiatric, and medical symptoms associated with ASD, or the research was contradictory or too sparse to establish a sex difference. Our review is unique in that it offers detailed discussion of sex differences in three major endophenotypes of ASD. Further research is needed to better understand why sex differences exist in certain ASD traits and to evaluate whether phenotypic sex differences are related to different pathways of development, assessment, and treatment of the disorder.

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“…Frequent fears of loud sounds in addition to unusual phobias, such as fears of beards, toilet bowls, and mechanical objects, are described in numerous studies of youth with ASD, including Kanner’s seminal paper on the disorder, and may be related to atypical sensory experiences (Kanner 1943; Mayes et al 2013; Muris et al 1998; Leyfer et al 2006). Studies also describe the presence of impairing social avoidance as well as social distress and nervousness in youth with ASD who have limited awareness or concern for social rejection – a common deficit in ASD that is at odds with the traditional diagnosis of social phobia (Leyfer et al 2006; Muris et al 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional and Atypical Presentations of Anxiety in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Kerns

Kendall

Berry

et al. 2014

J Autism Dev Disord

306

262

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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, Mage=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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Unusual fears in children with autism

Cited by 73 publications

References 49 publications

Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule–Autism Addendum: Reliability and Validity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule–Autism Addendum: Reliability and Validity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

A Review of the Differences in Developmental, Psychiatric, and Medical Endophenotypes Between Males and Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Traditional and Atypical Presentations of Anxiety in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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