Page 7 - ASD & Anxiety

consuming and can take focus away from tasks and
social interactions (Factor, Condy, Farley, & Scarpa,
2016). Interests might also be unusual compared
to peers. Common examples are: science, space,
machines, constructions, trains, computers, gaming,
and dinosaurs. Girls often favour people, moives,
and books. Some children can be preoccupied with
pieces of paper, the flicking of light switches, strings,
water and other more sensory related materials.

Some children might have stereotypical behaviours,
such as spinning, rocking, flapping, repeating phrases
or other rituals. This might be because it gives a good sensation,
but can also be a reaction to anxiety (coping strategy). Limiting
access to these activities, which often happens in a school day, can
lead to anxiety (Mazefsky et al., 2013).

The processing of sensory information is often different in
children with ASD. Many are over-sensitive to noise, crowds, light,
food, clothing and shoes. This can, for instance, result in difficulty
managing to wear a uniform and shoes, sitting at mat time or at
assembly, going to PE or swimming, moving
through small corridors in school, and being
in noisy classrooms all day. At the same time,
children might need lots of sensory input
to be able to focus, or to feel good. Moving
around, jumping, touching people and objects,
hugging, hanging upside down, and rocking
are common (Ashburner et al., 2010).

Cognitive differences, such as slower processing

of information, make following classroom
instructions difficult, and children with ASD
often need a lot more time to follow instructions.
This also affects social situations, because it
makes it harder to understand what is going