Abstract
To investigate possible correlates of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in young males with ASD, a test of the mediation effects of sensory features (SF) upon the association between ASD symptoms and GAD was conducted with 150 males aged 6 to 18 years. GAD data were obtained from parents of the boys and from the boys themselves; SF and ASD data were obtained from parents. Symptoms of ASD were found to influence elevated levels of parent-rated GAD indirectly through greater levels of sensory avoiding, and auditory-specific sensory behaviours correlated with parent-rated anxiety more strongly than other sensory modalities. There were no significant effects for the boys’ self-rated GAD.
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The authors are grateful to the young people with ASD and their parents who participated in this study.
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VB and CFS conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination and drafted the manuscript; WAA participated in the design and interpretation of the data and performed the statistical analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Bitsika, V., Arnold, W.A. & Sharpley, C.F. The Role of Sensory Features in Mediating Associations Between Autism Symptoms and Anxiety in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 50, 2464–2474 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-03917-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-03917-1