Anxiety: An Intrinsic Feature of High-Functioning Autism
“Why do children on the high functioning side of autism seem to experience more than their fair share of anxiety? And, are there any drugs that can be used to help with this problem?” Young people with High Functioning Autism (HFA) are particularly vulnerable to anxiety. This vulnerability may be an intrinsic feature of HFA due to a breakdown in circuitry related to extinguishing fear responses, specific neurotransmitter system defects, and/or their inability to make social judgments throughout development. Other reasons for anxiety in HFA children/teens include the following: Limitations in generalizing from one situation to another often contributes to repeating the same social gaffes. Limitations in their ability to grasp social cues - and their highly rigid style - act in concert to create repeated social errors. Many experience the discomfort that comes from somatic responses that are disconnected from events and experience. The lack of empathy severely limits skills f