Expert: James Michael Roan - 8/10/2005

Question
My son is 11 years old.  We suspect he may have autism and is scheduled to be assessed next month at our local Children's Hospital.  My question is about his level of anxiety/fear of so many things and seems to be only increasing with age.  This week, for example, he and my daughter are attending a surf camp.  The ocean is not anything new to him.  We regularly go to the beach and has always loved to go boogy boarding.  He even attended a surf camp three years ago and loved it.  Now he is terrified to go in the water because of sting rays and jellyfish.  This is just one example of many things recently that are causing him so much fear and anxiety that never used to.  Is there a connection between autism and anxiety?  Are there any suggestions  you may have to help him deal with these fears?  I'm afraid at this rate, he won't want to leave the house.
Thank you.

Answer
Hello Nadine;

There is a connection between anxiety and autism. Children with autism often have limited language ability compared to other children their age. This language impairment impairs or hinders their ability to process information and thus mediate fear and anxiety.

The avoidance of fearful situations is easily negatively reinforced and can generalize to other situations. Use stories or picture books that show happy adventures at the beach. Identify a character who is having fun as your son, such as "There you are...standing in the water and having great fun!" Fear of new potential dangers is typical in children as they become aware of new and hidden dangers in the world around them. They are too young to make appropriate risk assessments as we have learned to do.

Kind Regards,
James