Relationships Between Anxiety and Sleep and Feeding in Young Children with ASD

The purpose of this study was to describe anxiety symptoms in a large sample of young children (ages 2-6 years of age) with ASD and examine the relationship of anxiety with other characteristics. This study included 118 children with an average age of nearly 4 years. Parents completed reports of anxiety symptoms, sleep, and feeding. Regression modeling was used to determine if elevated anxiety symptoms were related to age, cognitive functioning, diagnostic status, sleep, and feeding behaviors. Anxiety symptoms were present in 16-19 % of the sample. Anxiety symptoms predicted more sleep disturbance and were associated with a higher likelihood of elevated score on the feeding measure. Anxiety symptoms are present in young children with ASD more than in young typically developing children. Moreover, anxiety symptoms predicted sleep disturbances and, less robustly, increase the chances of feeding problem. Directions for further study and intervention implications are discussed.