Parent and child perspectives on the nature of anxiety in children and young people with autism spectrum disorders: a focus group study
- 1 February 2012
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Autism
- Vol. 16 (2), 107-121
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361311431703
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are common among children and young people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Despite growing knowledge about the prevalence, phenomenology and treatment of anxiety disorders, relatively little is understood about the nature and impact of anxiety in this group and little is known about autism-specific factors that may have a role in the increased prevalence of anxiety disorders. In this exploratory study, we report on a series of five focus groups with 17 parents of children and adolescents with ASD and anxiety. Across groups, parents gave strikingly similar descriptions of the triggers and behavioural signs associated with anxiety. Another consistent finding was that many parents reported that their children had great difficulty expressing their worries verbally and most showed their anxiety through changes in their behaviour. The impact of anxiety was reported to often be more substantial than the impact of ASD itself. The implications of the focus group findings are discussed in relation to existing literature.Keywords
This publication has 29 references indexed in Scilit:
- Exploring the nature and function of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders.Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 2010
- Anxiety Disorders and Sensory Over-Responsivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Is There a Causal Relationship?Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2010
- Treatment of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy: A systematic reviewDevelopmental Neurorehabilitation, 2010
- Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Developmental Issues and Implications for DSM-VPsychiatric Clinics of North America, 2009
- Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders: a randomized, controlled trialJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2009
- The balance of power in therapeutic interactions with individuals who have intellectual disabilitiesBritish Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2009
- Anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disordersClinical Psychology Review, 2009
- Twenty-five Years of Research on Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Publication Trends Between 1982 and 2006 and a Selective Review of the LiteratureJournal of Child and Family Studies, 2008
- Psychiatric Disorders in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Prevalence, Comorbidity, and Associated Factors in a Population-Derived SampleJournal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2008
- Enhancing CBT for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Concurrent AnxietyBehavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 2008