Durán-Bouza Montserrat, Gómez-Ríos Silvia, Cañadas-Pérez Margarita, Brenlla-Blanco Juan-Carlos
Psychology Department, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
Occupational Sciences Department, Catholic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 31;20(1):e0318408. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318408. eCollection 2025.
Current research often overlooks anxiety symptoms in preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), focusing on older children. This study examines anxiety symptomatology primarily in young children with ASD by analyzing data from 82 Spanish children aged 3- to 6 years. Parents completed the Anxiety Scale for Children with ASD and the Social Communication Questionnaire. Results indicate that 30.48% of the children exhibit significant anxiety symptoms, "with anxious uncertainty" being the most prevalent. Factor analysis reveals three principal components of the Anxiety Scale, supporting its reliability. Regression analysis highlights stereotypical behaviors as significant predictors of anxiety levels. These findings underscore the importance of early assessment and adaptation of assessment tools for preschoolers with ASD. Stereotypical behaviors are identified as key predictors of anxiety in this population.
当前的研究常常忽视患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的学龄前儿童的焦虑症状，而是将重点放在大龄儿童身上。本研究主要通过分析82名3至6岁西班牙儿童的数据，来考察患有ASD的幼儿的焦虑症状学。家长们完成了《自闭症谱系障碍儿童焦虑量表》和《社会交往问卷》。结果表明，30.48%的儿童表现出显著的焦虑症状，其中“焦虑不确定性”最为普遍。因子分析揭示了焦虑量表的三个主要成分，支持了其可靠性。回归分析强调刻板行为是焦虑水平的重要预测指标。这些发现凸显了对患有ASD的学龄前儿童进行早期评估以及调整评估工具的重要性。刻板行为被确定为该群体焦虑的关键预测指标。
