Anxiety in Autistic Children: What a German Study Reveals
Anxiety is one of the most common struggles autistic children face. It can shape school life, friendships, and even daily routines. But here’s the challenge: many standard anxiety questionnaires don’t capture what anxiety actually looks like in autism.
A new study from researchers in Dresden takes an important step forward. They tested the German version of a parent-report tool designed specifically for autistic children — the ASC-ASD-P (Anxiety Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder – Parent Version). Their goal was simple but crucial: Can this tool reliably measure anxiety in autistic kids?
- What they did
The team studied 317 children, including 120 with autism. Importantly, they didn’t exclude kids with intellectual disabilities — a group often overlooked in research, but very present in real life.
Parents filled out the German version of the ASC-ASD-P. The researchers then checked:
Is the tool consistent and reliable?
Does it align with other trusted questionnaires (like CBCL, SDQ)?
Can it spot real differences between autistic and non-autistic children?
- What they found
The results were encouraging:
Very reliable — the scale consistently measured anxiety (Cronbach’s α = 0.92).
Valid — it matched well with existing measures.
Clear differences — autistic children scored significantly higher on anxiety, especially around uncertainty.
One weak spot — the Separation Anxiety subscale didn’t work well in Germany, suggesting it might not fit cultural patterns there.
- Why culture matters
Here’s a fascinating twist. When the same tool was tested in Singapore, the Separation Anxiety subscale worked much better.
Why the difference?
In Germany, children are encouraged to be independent early on. Being away from parents is seen as normal, so separation anxiety is less prominent.
In Singapore, stronger family ties and parental closeness mean separation often feels harder.
In other words, anxiety doesn’t look the same everywhere. The same scale can capture different things depending on cultural context.
- Why this matters for parents and professionals
This study shows that the German ASC-ASD-P is a useful and reliable tool for spotting anxiety in autistic kids. It helps professionals see the difference between “typical” anxiety and the ways it uniquely shows up in autism.
It also highlights something bigger: we can’t assume that one questionnaire works the same way across all cultures. Translating is not enough — tools need adaptation.
- The takeaway
Anxiety is more common and more intense in autistic children, especially around uncertainty.
The German version of ASC-ASD-P works well — but needs improvement for separation anxiety.
Cultural context shapes how anxiety is experienced and reported.
For families and clinicians, this means better tools are on the way — tools that truly reflect the lived experiences of autistic children, not just in one country, but around the world.
