"My cheeks get red and my brain gets scared": A computer assisted interview to explore experiences of anxiety in young children on the autism spectrum.
A picture computer interview lets 5- to 8-year-old autistic children tell you their own fears in under ten minutes.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Seers et al. (2021) built a simple computer game that asks kids about worry.
Five- to eight-year-olds with autism tapped pictures and short sentences to show what scares them.
The team wanted to know if very young children could give useful self-report data.
What they found
Children named many triggers: loud toilets, new teachers, birthday parties.
They also told how their body feels: “My cheeks get red and my brain gets scared.”
The game worked—kids stayed engaged and staff could read their answers.
How this fits with other research
Ozsivadjian et al. (2014) already showed autistic youth can fill out paper anxiety forms. Kate adds a friendlier, picture-based way for even younger kids.
Hsu et al. (2017) used a computer avatar to help kids recall events. Kate uses visuals for feelings, not memory—both find tech boosts participation.
Noordenbos et al. (2012) found teens under-report anxiety on forms. Kate’s younger kids openly shared, hinting age and format matter more than we thought.
Why it matters
You now have a quick, play-like tool to ask early-elementary clients what worries them. No reading skill needed. Use the free download, run it on a tablet, and let the child tap instead of talk. Pair the child’s words with parent report to plan exposures or social stories that fit real fears, not guessed ones.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Anxiety symptoms are common in children on the autism spectrum and may be present at an early age. While a multi-informant approach is considered best practice in the assessment of anxiety, self-reports from young children on the autism spectrum are rarely included. AIMS: The aim of this study was to utilise a computer-assisted interview procedure incorporating visual prompts to elicit the viewpoints of children about their experiences of anxiety. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Ten children aged 5-8 years who were diagnosed on the autism spectrum completed the interview. Directed content analysis was used to explore the data generated in the interview. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: A wide range of situations that trigger anxiety, and responses to anxiety, were reported across the participant group. These responses may be unrecognised as anxiety by others. The children provided positive feedback on the use of the computer-assisted interview. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The child's own self-report can inform parents and professionals of the situations which make them more or less anxious and the behaviours that they use to communicate their anxiety in that specific situation. The use of a computer-assisted interview may be an effective method to support self-report of anxiety-related experiences for young children on the autism spectrum.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2021 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103940