Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disability, continue to be affected by the disorder in adulthood. Research shows that many adults with ASD have poor outcomes in adulthood, regardless of intellectual ability or severity of symptom impairment, when compared to typically developing adults or adults with other disabilities. The burden of psychiatric comorbidities may be one of these contributing factors. Several studies have been conducted to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in individuals with ASD. and anxiety disorders are among the most common co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses in adults with ASD. Anxiety disorders are found to impact life outcomes in typically developing adults and it is possible they are also limiting individuals with ASD. Co-occurring anxiety has been widely studied in children and adolescents with ASD, but there is limited research on the prevalence and types of anxiety in adults with ASD. The aim of this study is to describe co-occurring anxiety disorders in a large sample of adults with ASD identified through medical billing codes from electronic healthcare records and in-person assessments of psychiatric conditions. The data on several participants who overlap will be compared to evaluate the validity of using medical billing codes to evaluate health status of participants with ASD. Lastly, associations between co-occurring anxiety and factors of adaptive functioning will be drawn for the potential that co-occurring anxiety may impact one’s ability to gain full independence. Ideally this study will help close the knowledge gap and provide important information for improving the identification and treatment of co-occurring anxiety in adults with ASD