The Moderating Effect of Anxiety on Development in Atypically Developing Toddlers

Where to from here for ASD and anxiety? Lessons learned from child anxiety and the issue of DSM‐5.

“…Although findings have been mixed, researchers have found that the severity of anxiety can vary by DSM‐IV‐TR ASD diagnosis (e.g., Davis et al., , ; Davis, Moree, et al, ; Gadow, DeVincent, Pomeroy, & Azizian, ; Kanai et al., ; Kerns & Kendall, ; Muris, Steerneman, Merckelbach, Holdrinet, & Meesters, ; Weisbrot, Gadow, DeVincent, & Pomeroy, ). Of relevance to this discussion is the concern that these differences in anxiety involve differences between autistic disorder and PDD‐NOS and/or Asperger's disorder (either more or less anxiety than that seen in autistic disorder depending on the study).…”

“…Two variables that are frequently considered when examining development are age (i.e., a rough proxy for the individual's point in development and associated milestones) and intellectual functioning (and often intellectual disability given its high comorbidity with ASD). Taking a developmentally informed approach to working with anxiety in children is strongly recommended, especially when one considers anxiety disorders are associated with impairment in cognitive abilities in typically developing children (Davis, Ollendick, & Nebel-Schwalm, 2008) and atypically developing nonautistic children (Davis, Hess, Matthews, et al, 2011) when they occur either as the sole type of diagnosis or as comorbid disorders (Jarrett, Wolff, Davis, Cowart, & Ollendick, in press).…”