Parent and child perspectives on the nature of anxiety in children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a focus group study

Ozsivadjian, A., Knott, F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5334-7206 and Magiati, I. (2012) Parent and child perspectives on the nature of anxiety in children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a focus group study. Autism, 16 (2). pp. 107-121. ISSN 1362-3613 doi: 10.1177/1362361311431703

Abstract/Summary

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 play a role in the increased prevalence of anxiety disorders. In this exploratory study, we report on a series of 5 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.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/26434
Identification Number/DOI	10.1177/1362361311431703
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Interdisciplinary centres and themes > ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) Research Network Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Psychopathology and Affective Neuroscience
Publisher	Sage Publications
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