Everyone has some anxiety from time to time. It is completely normal to feel nervous or anxious about life events. Children with autism share the same fears and worries as neurotypical children. However, when your worries or anxieties become overwhelming or impede your ability to live your day-to-day life – that could be a sign to check in with your medical team about learning more about anxiety disorders. Anxiety can affect anyone. 

Can Anxiety Affect Children with Autism

Yes! A person can have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and anxiety. 

How do I tell if my child with autism may have anxiety?

Pay attention to the signs. Some symptoms of autism can look very similar to anxiety. Let’s learn more. 

Autism (ASD):

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause challenges in social interactions, communication skills, behavior, and other life skills. Some signs to keep an eye out for are:

• Not responding to their name
• Avoiding eye contact or preferring to be alone
• Getting upset by minor changes in their environment
• Demonstrating little to no safety awareness
• Flapping their hands, rocking their body or spinning in circles

To learn everything you need to know about Autism check out Epicenter ABA’s training LINK

Anxiety Disorders:

Anxiety is a mental health disorder where a person has feelings of worry or fear that impact their ability to function in day-to-day life. Some signs to keep an eye out for are:

• Extreme fears about very specific things
• Seeking excessive reassurance
• Repeating behaviors excessively
• Extreme worry
  
  

The way children with autism show their anxiety may look similar to common characteristics of autism.

What does anxiety look like in a person with autism?

There are some telltale signs to look out for such as:

• Engaging in dangerous activities
• Seeking routine or sameness
• Avoiding or leaving social situations
• For a deeper look into ASD and anxiety check out Epicenter’s training.

If you find yourself saying “Wait, I have seen my child with autism do these things.” It is important to know that sometimes, symptoms of autism impact symptoms of anxiety. What this means is that if a person has anxiety, their autism diagnosis can impact the severity of their symptoms and the choices they make. For example, An individual with autism may demonstrate little safety or environmental awareness. Now, imagine that this individual also has anxiety. They have extreme fear about an animal such as a snake. This individual sees a picture of a snake in a book and begins to run out the front door into the parking lot. Due to their lack of environmental awareness, they put themselves in a very unsafe situation to get away from the snake picture. 

If you suspect your child may have anxiety, touch base with your child’s medical team.  Click here to learn more about how symptoms of autism impact symptoms of anxiety.