Social difficulties in youth with autism with and without anxiety and ADHD symptoms.
Alana J McVey, Hillary K Schiltz, Angela D Haendel and 10 others
PMID 30475451WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with autism and elevated anxiety or ADHD symptoms scored higher on parent-reported autism severity than those with autism alone.
This does not prove they have more core autism traits. It may mean the questionnaire picks up distress and inattention, inflating scores.
Key findings
01Adolescents with autism and clinically-elevated anxiety or anxiety plus ADHD showed significantly higher scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale than those with autism alone.
02The Social Responsiveness Scale has poor specificity and may inflate scores when anxiety or ADHD symptoms are present, as it taps into behaviors beyond core autism.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied solely on parent reports for autism, anxiety, and ADHD symptoms, which may be biased or inaccurate. Only one measure of autism severity was used, so results may not apply to other assessments. The sample was mostly White, male, and from higher social classes, limiting generalizability to diverse populations. Participants had IQs of 70 or greater, so findings do not apply to those with lower cognitive abilities.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret higher Social Responsiveness Scale scores in adolescents with anxiety or ADHD as evidence of more severe core autism. The scale lacks specificity and may simply reflect the additional behavioral and emotional distress caused by these co-occurring conditions.