Anxiety in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders: Significant Differences and the Moderating Effects of Social Impairments

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common comorbid disorders in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Although anxiety disorders are common amongst this population, little research has investigated how anxiety disorders manifest themselves differently across varying levels of functioning in ASDs. The current study investigated the differences in anxiety symptoms between those with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger's syndrome in comparison to typically developing controls and also examined the possible moderating effect of social deficits within these groups. Individuals with HFA and Asperger's syndrome were not found to differ in levels of anxiety and both groups had significantly greater levels of anxiety when compared to controls. Social deficits were not found to significantly moderate the relationship of diagnosis with levels of anxiety, although this approached significance. Further investigation found that social deficits were a significant moderator in those with Asperger's syndrome but only approached significance in those with Autistic Disorder.