Characteristics of Anxiety in Autistic Adults

Modern Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research has shifted in focus from explaining a debilitating childhood illness to helping individuals of all ages, cultures, and intelligence navigate their social problems. Understanding of the adult perspective has also grown massively since the autism diagnosis changed in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in 2013 and has brought into question how the neurodevelopmental disorder affects the individual. Anxiety symptoms in ASD, like the existence of camouflaging, have proven unique only to ASD, and recent findings suggests that the cause of anxiety in autistic individuals may be due to fundamental differences in communication that affect both the level of care received by the individual as well as the effectiveness of social interaction with neurotypical peers. This systematic review consolidates recent findings in research on the characteristics of anxiety disorders in autism spectrum disorder, from presentation to treatment options and quality of life surrounding an individual with both comorbidities. Results show not only an atypical anxiety presentation, but a concerning look at the state of autistic research as a whole