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Anxiety in autism spectrum disorder: Diagnosis and therapy
Author(s) -
Cammuso Karen,
Vorderstrasse Valerie
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the brown university child and adolescent behavior letter
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1556-7575
pISSN - 1058-1073
DOI - 10.1002/cbl.30499
Subject(s) - anxiety , autism spectrum disorder , autism , population , psychiatry , clinical psychology , anxiety disorder , spectrum disorder , psychology , comorbidity , disease , medicine , pediatrics , environmental health
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects approximately one in 59 new births in the United States. This neurodevelopmental condition is associated with increased risk for comorbid psychiatric conditions. Anxiety is particularly common, with a prevalence rate of nearly 40% for children and teens with ASD. In contrast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 7.1% of children aged 3–17 in the general population have been diagnosed with anxiety. There is evidence that anxiety in individuals with ASD tends to be characterized by more significant symptom presentation than community populations. Further, findings suggest that anxiety may persist as the most common comorbid condition in adults with ASD. Here, we summarize diagnostic issues and characteristics of ASD that can complicate the diagnosis and psychotherapeutic treatment of anxiety in this population.