Parenting Pointers with Dr. Claudia - Episode 504

Topic - Autism and Anxiety Anxiety is a serious problem for those on the autistic spectrum. Don’t dismiss it by saying, “Oh it’s just part of autism”. Anxiety undermines even the most effective treatments and makes life miserable for them. Just as any other child, they’re experiencing developmental periods and once they pass through them, the opportunity to learn is lost. Serious differences in the autistic brain make it difficult for them to control their anxiety. One of the major differences is that the emotional part of the brain is much larger and interprets faces as threatening. This threat activates anxiety which is problematic because faces are everywhere! If your child, teen or young adult is seriously impacted with anxiety, speak with a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist who is well-versed in autism. Determine the best approach to reduce misery and improve performance.