Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience high levels of anxiety. However, inconsistencies between parent and child reports may complicate the assessment of anxiety in this population.

The aim of this study is to investigate discrepancies between parent and self-reported anxiety among children with high functioning ASD.

Children aged between 8 and16 years with high functioning ASD, followed in the outpatient unite of child psychiatry at the University Hospital of Monastir, Tunisia and their parents, were invited to complete the Arabic version of the Anxiety Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASC-ASD). The ASC-ASD is a 24-item questionnaire with six sub-scales, designed specifically for the assessment of anxiety symptomatology in children with ASD. A total score of ≥ 20 indicate significant levels of anxiety.

We recruited 66 children and their parents. The mean age was 10 years old. High rates of anxiety were found: children’s reports revealed that 70% of them present anxiety and 60 % were coated anxious by parent’s reports. Performance Anxiety, Uncertainty and Social Anxiety were the most frequent types of anxiety reported by both parents and children. We did not find a significant difference between the parents and children rating of anxiety except for the apprehension subscale.

This is one of the first studies to compare between parent and self-reported anxiety among children with ASD using an autism-specific measure of anxiety. No discrepancies have been found between parents and children report, however others studies are needed to investigate discrepancies in children with severe ASD.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder without intellectual disabilities (High Functioning ASD, HF-ASD) present atypical sensory sensitivity, due to the hyper-reactivity to sensory inputs.

To retrospectively evaluate the sensory sensitivity in a sample of mothers with HF-ASD during pregnancy (pre-partum), delivery and childbirth (peri-partum) and during the three months after delivery (post-partum).

19 HF-ASD and 13 neurotypical (NT) mothers were asked to complete an ad-hoc questionnaire designed for the study, named Maternity Questionnaire, assessing sensory perception during pre-, peri- and post-partum. Moreover, they underwent the following assessment: the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Empathy Quotient (EQ), the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R), the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPSD), the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ) and the Post Partum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ).

At the Maternity Questionnaire, HF-ASD mothers showed higher sensitivity scores than NT mothers overall. Moreover, HF-ASD mothers presented lower sensitivity during the peri-partum, compared to pre- and post- partum periods, while NT mothers showed a linear decrease from pre- to post- partum. The two groups significantly differed at the AQ, the EQ, the RAADS-R, the SPQ and Factor 3 of the PBQ. Sensitivity during pre- and post-partum positively correlated with EPDS scores.

Mothers with HFA tend to experience pregnancy, childbirth and the post-partum period differently from neurotypical mothers, particularly in terms of hypersensitivity, although during the peri-partum the hypersensitivity decreases. Further studies investigating these aspects might give fundamental hints to provide proper help to HF-ASD mothers during pregnancy and motherhood overall.