Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is commonly comorbid with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, in a sample of 86 children and adolescents (M[subscript AGE] = 12.62 years; 68.6% male), 28 of whom were diagnosed with ASD, 34 with SAD, and 24 with comorbid ASD and SAD, we compared parent-reported scores from the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second…

Youth with autism spectrum disorder are at elevated risk for impaired emotion regulation and clinically impairing anxiety. A prior developmental framework posited that impaired emotion regulation leads to co-occurring psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, with outcome determined in part by autism spectrum disorder-specific moderating factors.…

Deficits in emotion regulation (ER) are commonly observed in individuals with ASD and may contribute to elevated rates of psychiatric comorbidity. The objective of this study was to understand the relationship between ER (self-and caregiver-reported) and clinician-assigned mood and anxiety disorders in emerging adults with ASD (n = 27).…

Research on anxiety disorders in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has burgeoned in the past two decades. Yet, critical gaps exist with respect to measuring and treating anxiety in this population. This study used the nominal group technique to identify the most important research priorities on co-occurring anxiety in ASD. An international…

Co-occurring problems with mood and anxiety among adolescents and adults on the autism spectrum are highly prevalent and contribute to poor outcomes and diminished quality of life. The current study's principal aim was to evaluate variation in the presentation of depression symptomatology among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder,…

Assessment of global functioning is an important consideration in treatment outcome research; yet, there is little guidance on its evidence-based assessment for children with autism spectrum disorders. This study investigated the utility and validity of clinician-rated global functioning using the Developmental Disability-Child Global Assessment…

The present study examined the degree to which social anxiety predicts aggression in children with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD, n = 20) compared to children with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD, n = 20) or with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder (ODD/CD, n = 20). As predicted, children with HFASD reported levels…

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is 1 of the most prevalent psychological disorders, and among college students in particular, social anxiety has been associated with other problems such as substance use problems and increased vulnerability to other psychiatric disorders. The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory-23 (SPAI-23; Roberson-Nay, Strong, Nay,…

Anxiety may exacerbate interpersonal difficulties and contribute to secondary behavioral problems in adolescents with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD). This study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties and construct validity of measures of anxiety with a sample (n = 30) of adolescents with HFASD and comorbid anxiety…

Comorbid anxiety is common among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and parents of children with ASD are more likely to have anxiety disorders. This study investigated the relationship between parents' state and trait anxiety and parent-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms among adolescents (n = 30) with ASD, as well…

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are fairly common psychiatric conditions that impair the functioning of otherwise healthy young adults. Given that the two conditions frequently co-occur, measurement of the characteristics unique to each condition is critical. This study evaluated the structure and construct…