Abstract
The recognition of anxiety as one of the most commonly co-occurring diagnoses for individuals on the autism spectrum has led to increased research on symptomatology and treatment, but there is limited research documenting the impact of this anxiety. To address this, this study reports on the Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale (CALIS, parent version) in a community sample of 121 parents of children on the autism spectrum. Scores indicate that the anxiety is impacting upon the child’s engagement in activities both in and outside of home as well as impacting upon parent life. Explanatory variables differed for CALIS subscales. As the child’s difficulties with uncertainty and parent level of anxiety were the variables that explained the most variance, these may be important foci for effective interventions.
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We are grateful to the children on the autism spectrum and their families for giving their time to support this research study.
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This research received no specific Grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. No financial support was provided for this study. This work has not been presented at any conference or meeting nor posted on any website, forum, or discussion board.
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DA conceived the study, participated in its design and coordination, coordinated the data cleaning, performed the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data and drafted the manuscript. LE conceived the study, participated in its design and coordination, assisted with the interpretation of the data and helped draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Adams, D., Emerson, LM. The Impact of Anxiety in Children on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 1909–1920 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04673-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04673-3