Abstract
In this chapter, we explore the phenotypic overlap between social anxiety disorder (SAD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), mechanisms through which social anxiety might arise in a person with ASD, and clinical considerations for differential and dual diagnosis. We consider social anxiety diagnostically as well as dimensionally, given the debate about the validity of co-occurring SAD in ASD, the fairly nascent state of the research on the topic, and recent explication in our diagnostic nosology on differentiation between and dual diagnosis of SAD and ASD (APA 2013). Social anxiety is a common clinical concern among people diagnosed with ASD; its presence is often inferred from behavioral manifestations rather than expressed cognitions (e.g., worries about failure or peer judgment). There are many unknowns with respect to how best to assess, diagnose, and treat social anxiety in individuals with ASD. Nonetheless, in summarizing the extant research, we provide specific recommendations for further research in this area and suggestions for evidence-based assessment and treatment.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alfano, C. A., Beidel, D. C., & Turner, S. M. (2006). Cognitive correlates of social phobia among children and adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 34, 189–201. doi:10.1007/s10802-005-9012-9.
Amaral, D. G., Bauman, M. D., & Schumann, C. M. (2003). The amygdale and autism: Implications from non-human primate studies. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 2, 295–302. doi:10.1034/j.1601-183X.2003.00043.x.
Ambrosini, P. J. (2000). Historical development and present status of the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 49–58. doi:10.1097/00004583-200001000-00016.
APA (American Psychiatric Association). (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). (Text Revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
APA (American Psychiatric Association). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Attwood, T. (2007). The complete guide to Asperger’s syndrome. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Baron-Cohen, S. (1995). Mindblindness: An essay on autism and theory of mind. In L. Gleitman, S. Carey, E. Newport, & E. Spelke (Eds.), Learning, development, and conceptual change. Cambridge, MA: MIT.
Baron-Cohen, S. (2008). Theories of the autistic mind. The Psychologist, 21(2), 112–116.
Beidel, D. C., & Turner, S. M. (2007). Shy children, phobic adults: Nature and treatment of social anxiety disorder (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., & Morris, T. L. (1999). Psychopathology of childhood social phobia. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 38, 643–650. doi:10.1097/00004583-199906000-00010.
Bellini, S. (2004). Social skill deficits and anxiety in high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19(2), 78–86. doi:10.1177/10883576040190020201.
Bellini, S. (2006). The development of social anxiety in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 21(3), 138–145. doi:10.1177/10883576060210030201.
Berthoz, S., & Hill, E. L. (2005). The validity of using self-reports to assess emotion regulation abilities in adults with autism spectrum disorder. European Psychiatry, 20, 291–298. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2004.06.013.
Birmaher, B., Khetarpal, S., Brent, D., Cully, M., Balach, L., Kaufman, J., & Neer, S. M. (1997). The Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Scale construction and psychometric characteristics. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 545–553. doi:10.1097/00004583-199704000-00018.
Burstein, M., He, J.-P., Kattan, G., Albano, A. M., Avenevoli, S., & Merikangas, K. R. (2011). Social phobia and subtypes in the national comorbidity survey-adolescent supplement: Prevalence, correlates, and comorbidity. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 50, 870–880. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2011.06.005.
Caron, C., & Rutter, M. (1991). Comorbidity in child psychopathology: Concepts, issues and research strategies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 1063–1080. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1991.tb00350.x.
Cath, D. C., Ran, N., Smit, J. H., van Balkom, A. J. L. M., & Comijs, H. C. (2008). Symptom overlap between autism spectrum disorder, generalized social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults: A preliminary case-controlled study. Psychophathology, 41, 101–110. doi:10.1159/000111555.
Corbett, B. A., Schupp, C. W., Simon, D., Ryan, N., & Mendoza, S. (2010). Elevated cortisol during play is associated with age and social engagement in children with autism. Molecular Autism, 1(13). doi:10.1186/2040-2392-1-13.
Corbett, B. A., Schupp, C. W., & Lanni, K. E. (2012). Comparing biobehavioral profiles across two social stress paradigms in children with and without autism spectrum disorders. Molecular Autism, 3, 13. doi:10.1186/2040-2392-3-13.
D’Cruz, A.-M., Ragozzino, M. E., Mosconi, M. W., Shrestha, S., Cook, E. H., & Sweeney, J. A. (2013). Reduced behavioral flexibility in autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychology, 27, 152–160. doi:10.1037/a0031721.
Dalton, K. M., Nacewicz, B. M., Alexander, A. L., & Davidson, R. J. (2007). Gaze-fixation, brain activation, and amygdala volume in unaffected siblings of individuals with autism. Biological Psychiatry, 61, 512–520. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.05.019.
Davila, J., & Beck, J. G. (2002). Is social anxiety associated with impairment in close relationships? A preliminary investigation. Behavior Therapy, 33, 427–446. doi:10.1016/s0005-7894(02)80037-5.
Erath, S. A., Flanagan, K. S., & Bierman, K. L. (2007). Social anxiety and peer relations in early adolescence: Behavioral and cognitive factors. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 405–416. doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9099-2.
Garner, M., Mogg, K., & Bradley, B. P. (2006). Orienting and maintenance of gaze to facial expressions in social anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 760–770. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.115.4.760.
Gensler, D. (2012). Autism spectrum disorder in DSM-V: Differential diagnosis and boundary conditions. Journal of Infant, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy, 11(2), 86–95. doi:10.1080/15289168.2012.676339.
Ginsburg, G. S., La Greca, A. M., & Silverman, W. K. (1998). Social anxiety in children with anxiety disorders: Relation with social and emotional functioning. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26(3), 175–185. doi:10.1023/a:1022668101048.
Grant, B. F., Hasin, D. S., Blanco, C., Stinson, F. S., Chou, S. P., Goldstein, R. B., … Huang, B. (2005). The epidemiology of social anxiety disorder in the United States: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 66, 1351–1361. doi:10.4088/JCP.v66n1102.
Grondhuis, S. N., & Aman, M. G. (2012). Assessment of anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6, 1345–1365. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2012.04.006.
Harnum, M., Duffy, J., & Ferguson, D. A. (2007). Adults’ versus children’s perceptions of a child with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1337–1343. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0273-0.
Joseph, R. M., Ehrman, K., McNally, R., & Keehn, B. (2008). Affective response to eye contact and face recognition ability in children with ASD. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 14, 947–955. doi:10.1017/S1355617708081344.
Kerns, C. M., & Kendall, P. C. (2012). The presentation and classification of anxiety in autism spectrum disorder. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19, 323–347. doi:10.1111/cpsp.12009.
Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593–602. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593.
Kimel, L. K. (2009). Phenomenology of anxiety and fears in clinically anxious children with autism spectrum disorders. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Denver: University of Denver.
Kleinhans, N. M., Richards, T., Weaver, K., Johnson, L. C., Greenson, J., Dawson, G., & Aylward, E. (2010). Association between amygdala response to emotional faces and social anxiety in autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychologia, 48, 3665–3670. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.07.022.
Klin, A., Jones, W., Schultz, R., & Volkmar, F. (2003). The enactive mind, or from actions to cognition: Lessons from autism. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B, 358, 345–360. doi:10.1098/rstb.2002.1202.
Koegel, R. L., & Mentis, M. (1985). Motivation in childhood autism: Can they or won’t they? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 185–191. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1985.tb02259.x.
Kreiser, N. L. (2011). The development of a social anxiety measure for adolescents and adults with ASD. Unpublished master’s thesis. Blacksburg: Virginia Tech.
Kreiser, N. L., & White, S. W. (2011, November). Measuring social anxiety in adolescents and adults with high functioning autism: The development of a screening instrument. In N. L. Kreiser & C. Pugliese (Co-chairs), Co-occurring psychological and behavioral problems in adolescents and adults with features of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Assessment and characteristics. Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Toronto, Canada.
Kreiser, N. L. & White, S. W. (2014) Assessment of social anxiety in people with ASD. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.
Kushki, A., Drumm, E., Mobarak, M. P., Tanel, N., Dupuis, A., Chau, T., & Anagnostou, E. (2013). Investigating the autonomic nervous system response to anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One, 8(4), e59730. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059730.
Kuusikko, S., Pollock-Wurman, R., Jussila, K., Carter, A. S., Mattila, M.-L., Ebeling, H., … Moilanen, I. (2008). Social anxiety in high-functioning children and adolescents with autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 1697–1709. doi:10.1007/s10803-008-0555–9.
La Greca, A. M., & Lopez, N. (1998). Social anxiety among adolescents: Linkages with peer relations and friendships. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 83–94. doi:10.1023/A:1022684520514.
La Greca, A. M., & Stone, W. L. (1993). Social anxiety scale for children-revised: Factor structure and concurrent validity. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 22, 17–27. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp2201_2.
Lainhart, J. E., & Folstein, S. E. (1994). Affective disorders in people with autism: A review of published cases. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 587–601. doi:10.1007/BF02172140.
Lang, R., Regester, A., Lauderdale, S., Ashbaugh, K., & Haring, A. (2010). Treatment of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders suing cognitive behaviour therapy: A systematic review. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 13, 53–63. doi:10.3109/17518420903236288.
Lerner, M. D., White, S. W., & McPartland, J. C. (2012). Mechanisms of change in psychosocial interventions for autism spectrum disorders. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 14, 307–318.
Leyfer, O. T., Folstein, S. E., Bacalman, S., Davis, N. O., Dinh, E., Morgan, J., et al. (2006). Comorbid psychiatric disorders in children with autism: Interview development and rates of disorders. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders, 36, 849–861. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0123-0.
Locke, J., Ishijima, E. H., Kasari, C., & London, N. (2010). Loneliness, friendship quality and the social networks of adolescents with high‐functioning autism in an inclusive school setting. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 10(2), 74–81. doi:10.1111/j.1471-3802.2010.01148.x.
Lugnegård, T., Hallerbäck, M. U., & Gillberg, C. (2011). Psychiatric comorbidity in young adults with a clinical diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, 1910–1917. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.03.025.
March, J. S. (1998). Multidimensional anxiety scale for children. North Tonawanda: Multi-Health Systems.
Mason, J., & Scior, K. (2004). ‘Diagnostic overshadowing’ amongst clinicians working with people with intellectual disabilities in the UK. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(2), 85–90. doi:10.1111/j.1360-2322.2004.00184.x.
Mazefksy, C. A., Herrington, J., Siegel, M., Scarpa, A., Maddox, B. B., Scahill, L., & White, S. W. (2013). The role of emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Mazefsky, C. A., Kao, J., & Oswald, D. P. (2011). Preliminary evidence suggesting caution in the use of psychiatric self-report measures with adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5, 164–174. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.03.006.
Nauta, M. H., Scholing, A., Rapee, R. M., Abbott, M., Spence, S. H., & Waters, A. (2004). A parent-report measure of children’s anxiety: Psychometric properties and comparison with child-report in a clinic and normal sample. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42, 813–839. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(03)00200-6.
Ollendick, T. H., & White, S. W. (2012). The presentation and classification of anxiety in autism spectrum disorder: Where to from here? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19, 352–355. doi:10.1111/cpsp.12013.
Ozsivadjian, A., Knott, F., & Magiati, I. (2012). Parent and child perspectives on the nature of anxiety in children and young people with autism spectrum disorders: A focus group study. Autism, 16(2), 107–121. doi:10.1177/1362361311431703.
Piven, J., & Palmer, P. (1999). Psychiatric disorder and the broad autism phenotype: Evidence from a family study of multiple-incidence autism families. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 557–563.
Pugliese, C. E., White, B. A., White, S. W., & Ollendick, T. H. (2013). Social anxiety predicts aggression in children with ASD: Clinical comparisons with socially anxious and oppositional youth. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 1205–1213. doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1666-x.
Rao, P. A., Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., Ammerman, R. T., Crosby, L. E., & Sallee, F. R. (2007). Social anxiety disorder in childhood and adolescence: Descriptive psychopathology. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 1181–1191. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2006.07.015.
Reaven, J. A., Blakeley-Smith, A., Nichols, S., Dasari, M., Flanigan, E., & Hepburn, S. (2009). Cognitive-behavioral group treatment for anxiety symptoms in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders: A pilot study. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 24(1), 27–37. doi:10.1177/1088357608327666.
Renno, P., & Wood, J. J. (2013). Discriminant and convergent validity of the anxiety construct in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 2135–2146. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1767-1.
Schneier, F. R., Johnson, J., Hornig, C. D., Liebowitz, M. R., & Weissman, M. M. (1992). Social phobia: Comorbidity and morbidity in an epidemiologic sample. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49(4), 282–288.
Schwartz, C. B., Henderson, H. A., Inge, A. P., Zahka, N. E., Coman, D. C., Kojkowski, N. M., … Mundy, P. C. (2009). Temperament as a predictor of symptomotology and adaptive functioning in adolescents with high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 842–855. doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0690-y.
Settipani, C. A., Puleo, C. M., Conner, B. T., & Kendall, P. C. (2012). Characteristics and anxiety symptom presentation associated with autism spectrum traits in youth with anxiety disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 26, 459–467. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2012.01.010.
Shtayermman, O. (2007). Peer victimization in adolescents and young adults diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome: A link to depressive symptomatology, anxiety symptomatology and suicidal ideation. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 30(3), 87–107. doi:10.1080/01460860701525089.
Silverman, W. K., & Albano, A. M. (1996). Anxiety disorders interview schedule for DSM-IV. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Charman, T., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., & Baird, G. (2008). Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47, 921–929. doi:10.1097/CHI.0b013e318179964f.
Spence, S. H. (1995). Social skills training: Enhancing social competence with children and adolescents. Windsor: Nfer-Nelson.
Spence, S. H., Donovan, C., & Brechman-Toussaint, M. (1999). Social skills, social outcomes, and cognitive features of childhood social phobia. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108, 211–221. doi:10.1037/0021-843x.108.2.211.
Sukhodolsky, D. G., Scahill, L., Gadow, K. D., Arnold, L. E., Aman, M. G., McDougle, C. J., Vitiello, B. (2008). Parent-rated anxiety symptoms in children with pervasive developmental disorders: Frequency and association with core autism symptoms and cognitive functioning. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 117–128. doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9165-9.
Swaim, K. F., & Morgan, S. B. (2001). Children’s attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a peer with autistic behaviors: Does a brief educational intervention have an effect? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 195–205. doi:10.1023/A:1010703316365.
Turner, S. M., Beidel, D. C., Dancu, C. V., & Keys, D. J. (1986). Psychopathology of social phobia and comparison to avoidant personality disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95, 389–394. doi:10.1037/0021-843x.95.4.389.
van Steensel, F. J. A., Bögels, S. M., & Perrin, S. (2011). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 14, 302–317. doi:10.1007/s10567-011-0097-0.
Wallace, S. T., & Alden, L. E. (1995). Social anxiety and standard setting following social success or failure. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 19, 613–631. doi:10.1007/BF02227857.
Weeks, J. W., Heimberg, R. G., Rodebaugh, T. L., & Norton, P. J. (2008). Exploring the relationship between fear of positive evaluation and social anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22, 386–400. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2007.04.009.
Wenzel, A., Graff-Dolezal, J., Macho, M., & Brendle, J. R. (2005). Communication and social skills in socially anxious and nonanxious individuals in the context of romantic relationships. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 43, 505–519. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2004.03.010.
White, S. W., & Roberson-Nay, R. (2009). Anxiety, social deficits, and loneliness in youth with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 1006–1013. doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0713-8.
White, S. W., & Schry, A. R. (2011). Social anxiety in adolescents on the autism spectrum. In C. A. Alfano & D. C. Beidel (Eds.), Social anxiety in adolescents and young adults: Translating developmental science into practice (pp. 183–201). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
White, S. W., Albano, A. M., Johnson, C. R., Kasari, C., Ollendick, T., Klin, A., … Scahill, L. (2010). Development of a cognitive-behavioral intervention program to treat anxiety and social deficits in teens with high-functioning autism. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 13, 77–90. doi:10.1007/s10567-009-0062-3.
White, S. W., Ollendick, T. H., & Bray, B. C. (2011). College students on the autism spectrum: Prevalence and associated problems. Autism, 15, 683–701. doi:10.1177/1362361310393363.
White, S. W., Bray, B. C., & Ollendick, T. H. (2012a). Examining shared and unique aspects of social anxiety disorder and autism spectrum disorder using factor analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 874–884. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1325-7.
White, S. W., Kreiser, N. L., Pugliese, C., & Scarpa, A. (2012b). Social anxiety mediates the effect of autism spectrum disorder characteristics on hostility in young adults. Autism, 16, 453–464. doi:10.1177/1362361311431951.
White, S. W., Schry, A. R., & Maddox, B. B. (2012c). Brief report: The assessment of anxiety in high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 1138–1145. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1353-3.
White, S. W., Ollendick, T., Albano, A. M., Oswald, D., Johnson, C., Southam-Gerow, M. A., … Scahill, L. (2013). Randomized controlled trial: Multimodal anxiety and social skill intervention for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 382–394. doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1577-x.
Williamson, S., Craig, J., & Slinger, R. (2008). Exploring the relationship between measures of self-esteem and psychological adjustment among adolescents with Asperger syndrome. Autism, 12, 391–402. doi:10.1177/1362361308091652.
Wood, J. J., & Gadow, K. D. (2010). Exploring the nature and function of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 17, 281–292. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2010.01220.x.
Wood, J. J., Drahota, A., Sze, K., Har, K., Chiu, A., & Langer, D. A. (2009). Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders: A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 224–234. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01948.x.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
White, S., Schry, A., Kreiser, N. (2014). Social Worries and Difficulties: Autism and/or Social Anxiety Disorder?. In: Davis III, T., White, S., Ollendick, T. (eds) Handbook of Autism and Anxiety. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06796-4_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06796-4_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-06795-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-06796-4
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)