title: Does the Presence of Anxiety and ADHD Symptoms Add to Social Impairment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?
abstract: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience internalizing and externalizing problems at higher rates than typically developing children, which could worsen social impairment. The present study compared impairment scores (social responsiveness scale, 2nd edition; SRS-2 scores) in 57 children (3-17 years, 82.5% male) with ASD, either with or without heightened levels of anxiety or ADHD symptoms, all per parent report. Children with heightened anxiety problems showed higher scores on four SRS-2 subscales (Social Cognition, Social Communication, Social Motivation, and Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior). Children with heightened ADHD traits showed higher scores on two subscales (Social Communication and Social Awareness). These findings suggest similarities and differences in how social deficits in ASD may worsen with anxiety or ADHD symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 460 Turner Street N.W. (0716), Suite 203, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA. rfactor@vt.edu.|Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research, Blacksburg, VA, USA. rfactor@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Reina S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Factor
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 460 Turner Street N.W. (0716), Suite 203, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Julee P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Farley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 460 Turner Street N.W. (0716), Suite 203, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.|Child Study Center, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ollendick
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 460 Turner Street N.W. (0716), Suite 203, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.|Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scarpa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: ADHD; Anxiety; Autism spectrum disorder; Social deficits; Social motivation