Utilising Interview Methodology to Inform the Development of New Clinical Assessment Tools for Anxiety in Autistic Individuals Who Speak Few or no Words.
Georgina Edwards, Joanne Tarver, Lauren Shelley and 4 others
PMID 35304663WHAT IT FOUND
Parents and clinicians described anxiety in non-speaking autistic people as increased vocalisation, challenging behaviour and avoidance.
Key triggers were unpredictability and routine changes. They stressed assessing baseline behaviour and ruling out pain before diagnosing anxiety.
Key findings
01Parents and clinicians most frequently attributed increased vocalisation, challenging behaviours, and avoidance or refusal to anxiety.
02Unpredictability, changes to routine, loud noises and sensory overload were the most common triggers for anxiety reported by both groups.
03Clinicians emphasised that knowing an individual's baseline behaviour and ruling out physical pain are essential steps before identifying anxiety.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Clinicians were recruited from only one geographic location, so their assessment methods and views may not represent services elsewhere. The behaviours and triggers identified are based on what parents and clinicians attributed to anxiety, not on a validated measure, so some behaviours might have other causes. The study did not include respondent validation, meaning participants did not check if the researchers' interpretation matched their views. Data triangulation was limited because parents and clinicians were not interviewed about the same individuals.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Baily Thomas Charitable Fund, Autistica, and the Birmingham Children's Hospital Charitable Fund. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the behaviours and triggers listed here as a validated diagnostic checklist. These are descriptions from parents and clinicians of what they believe indicates anxiety, not evidence that these signs definitively diagnose anxiety without ruling out other causes like pain.