Associations Between Communication Skills and Social Anxiety in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Researchers looked at how communication skills relate to social anxiety in autistic children and teens. They found a moderate connection between the two, but this varied depending on the child's abilities and how skills were measured. The study suggests that better communication skills may help reduce social anxiety, but more research is needed to understand this relationship fully.

This systematic review analyzed six studies involving 682 autistic children and adolescents to examine relationships between communication skills and social anxiety. Findings revealed a moderate association between these factors, though the strength varied based on measurement tools used, participants' cognitive abilities, and specific communication domains assessed. The review identified significant methodological challenges including measurement heterogeneity and limited sample sizes across studies. Authors emphasized the need for autism-specific validated measures, larger studies, and longitudinal research to better understand how these relationships develop over time.

The findings have important implications for developing targeted interventions for autistic youth experiencing social anxiety.

Results suggest communication skills interventions may help reduce social anxiety in autistic youth. However, interventions should be tailored based on individual cognitive abilities and specific communication needs. Clinicians should use autism-appropriate assessment tools when evaluating both communication skills and social anxiety.

Small number of included studies (n=6) and measurement heterogeneity across research. Limited sample sizes in individual studies. Lack of autism-specific validated measures. Cross-sectional nature of most studies prevents understanding of developmental changes over time.

This systematic review examined the association between communication skills and social anxiety in autistic youth ≤ 18 years old. A systematic search was conducted across six databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase, and ProQuest) and gray literature to identify quantitative studies that investigated the relationship between communication skills and social anxiety in autistic youth. This systematic review was registered prospectively on PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews; Registration No. CRD42023415376).

Six studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 682 autistic participants. Findings suggest a moderate relationship between social anxiety and communication skills, but this association varied depending on the measure used, the cognitive abilities of participants, and the specific communication domains examined. The association between communication skills and social anxiety in autistic youth is complicated and impacted by multiple factors, including measurement heterogeneity, cognitive abilities, and developmental stage. Future research should include larger sample sizes and adopt validated measures tailored for autistic individuals to enhance the consistency of findings and improve the understanding of the relationship between communication skills and social anxiety.

Longitudinal studies are also needed to explore how relationships evolve across development. Understanding these associations has important implications for targeted interventions to support autistic individuals with co-occurring social anxiety. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.30716924.