Difficulty coping with changes may lead to anxiety in adults with Autism.

Title: Levels of anxiety and sources of stress in adults with autism.
Authors: Gillott, Alinda; Standen, P. J.
Source: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities. Vol 11(4) Dec 2007, 359-370.

Almost all research in autism is done with children, so it is always great to see new studies being conducted with adults. This study compared 34 adults with autism with 20 adults with intellectual impairment only. Although the two groups were equal in their intellectual abilities, adults with autism had much higher (3 times) levels of anxiety than adults with intellectual impairment but not autism. The factor that was most highly associated with stress for the adults with autism was their inability to cope with change. That is, those adults with autism who had most difficulty coping with change were also the adults who experienced the most anxiety. This has implications for treatment focus, specially for adults experiencing significant levels of anxiety. Specifically, adults with autism who experience anxiety may benefit from treatment interventions that address their ability to cope with changes.