The Development of Social Anxiety in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

The present study examined factors contributing to the development of social anxiety in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In particular, the study examined the contribution of social skill deficits and physiological hyperarousal to the development of social anxiety in individuals with ASD. Forty-one adolescents with high-functioning ASD participated in the study. The results of a multiple regression analysis suggest that the proposed model (i.e., the combination of social skills and physiological arousal) is a significant predictor of social anxiety in this sample. A developmental pathways model is proposed that identifies potential predisposing or protective factors that may contribute to the development, protection, or remediation of social anxiety in adolescents with autism.