Social anxiety, or the fear of new people and social situations. While social anxiety is very common in children with autism, in the case of high functioning autism, it may increase as the child ages and becomes more aware of their own difficulties surrounding social interaction.
Many children also had common childhood fears and phobias (including fear of dogs, bugs, spiders, snakes, the dark, doctors, barbers, monsters, people in costumes, mechanical toys, sleeping alone, fire, and swimming), which increased the overall proportion of children with autism who had intense fears and phobias to ...
Strangers in and of themselves are not necessarily dangerous, rather some strangers may be safer or more acceptable for children with autism to speak to than others, and some situations warrant these discussions more than others as well. In order to function in society, people must talk to strangers every day.
Social anxiety is particularly common among all Autistics, with prevalence estimates reported to be as high as 50% (Bellini, 2004; Maddox & White, 2015; Spain et al., 2016). This is substantially higher than the Allistic population (estimates of SAD among non-ASD population range from 7–13%) (NICE, 2013a).
However, social anxiety – or a fear of new people and social situations – is especially common among kids with autism. If your child suffers from anxiety, he may experience strong internal sensations of tension. This can include a racing heart, muscular tensions, sweating and stomachache.
Morag Maskey and colleagues note that anxiety is one of the most common problems for individuals with ASD, and that many individuals with ASD have specific phobias—such as a fear of dogs, elevators, airports, or balloons—that interfere significantly with daily life.
Shy children will typically use body language such as fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, and speaking in a low voice when uncomfortable, whereas children with autism may display verbal outbursts or physical aggression due to their inability to regulate their emotions.
Masking may involve suppressing certain behaviours we find soothing but that others think are 'weird', such as stimming or intense interests. It can also mean mimicking the behaviour of those around us, such as copying non-verbal behaviours, and developing complex social scripts to get by in social situations.
Some people on the autism spectrum may seek social opportunities and may initiate social interactions themselves, others may enjoy social situations and interactions when they are initiated effectively by others.
Many autistic people enjoy spending time alone and consider it important for their wellbeing. Loneliness is different though. You might feel lonely if you don't have opportunities to socialise, or find this difficult. You might have friends/colleagues but feel misunderstood, or like you cannot be yourself around them.
Insecure attachments are linked to aggression and anxiety. Fewer autistic people form secure attachments than do their typical peers: Studies have shown that 47 to 53 percent of children with autism are securely attached, compared with about 65 percent of typical individuals3.
Some children with autism may start talking at 12-16 months. Most don't start talking until later. Some will start talking between the ages of 2-3 years. Other children talk even later, and some children never learn to talk.
Your child might get upset if too much is happening around them, if they find a particular noise overwhelming, or if the light is too bright. Autistic children can get frustrated if they're expected to do something they don't have the skills for, like getting dressed independently.
It's common for children with ASD and anxiety to become extremely frightened in response to sensory stimuli. Perhaps – like many individuals with autism – your son also has difficulty telling you what's scaring him. Instead, he may show his fear with extreme avoidance of a situation.
Many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated by animals, trains, or other aspects of the real world. Selected TV and videos, such as "Animal Planet" and the "Eye Witness" videos can build on those interests.
It's quite common for autistic children who do not appear to have any behavioural difficulties at school to behave differently at home. Tony Attwood refers to this as the Jekyll and Hyde character (Attwood, 1998). In section, we look at some of the reasons behind this behaviour, and offer tips to parents and carers.
The 'autism accent'.
Professionals would describe this as abnormal speech patterns. I'm not sure what specifically is different about our voices, but some autistic people find that they are often asked about their voice or accent. I have been. In primary school other kids used to mock my voice.
Many children on the autism spectrum use echolalia, which means they repeat others' words or sentences. They might repeat the words of familiar people (parents, teachers), or they might repeat sentences from their favourite video. When children repeat words right after they hear them, it's known as immediate echolalia.
A child can avoid eye contact because they: Are fearful of or dislike the person who is attempting to make eye contact. Have a hearing problem and be unaware that they should look at someone. Feel a general sense of social anxiety or shyness.
Children with ASD often need a hug, just like other children. Sometimes they need this much more than other children. But some children don't like to be touched. Respect their personal space.
What are the early warning signs for autism spectrum disorder? The early warning signs for an ASD include concerns about a child's social skills, communication, and restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, activities, and emotional regulation.
There are other brain disorders that mimic autism symptoms, like ADHD and anxiety disorders, including selective mutism. Autism can be misdiagnosed as another disorder with some shared symptoms.
Being “shy” or “outgoing” are not the defining factors of autism. People on the spectrum can be both and so many times, they're hiding in plain sight – if only people were aware of just how wrong these myths surrounding being autistic were.
Many biological conditions can lead to social difficulties, including autism. However, not all autistic individuals will display social awkwardness (though they may struggle inwardly). Moreover, not everyone who is socially awkward is autistic. And, in fact, they don't necessarily have a diagnosable condition.