Social Context in Stress and Autism: Comparing Physiological Profiles Across Two Social Paradigms in Youth with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background: The social world is often stressful for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research shows youth with ASD demonstrate physiological hyperreactivity to some social stressors (e.g., interaction) but not others (e.g., evaluation); therefore, this study examined diagnosis (ASD or typical development (TD)), social context, perceived anxiety, and physiological responsivity across multiple stress systems; namely, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Method: This study examined 244 ten-to-thirteen-year-olds with ASD (N = 140) or TD (N = 104). Physiological responses, measured by salivary cortisol, heart rate (HR), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), were assessed before and after a social evaluative threat paradigm (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST) and social interaction (Trier Social Stress Test- Friendly; TSST-F). Mediation models examined the relationships between anxiety, diagnosis, and physiology.

Results: Significant three-way interactions were observed for cortisol (p=0.007) and HR (p=0.002), suggesting diagnostic groups respond differently across context and time points. There was no significant interaction for RSA (p=0.149), although ASD youth had significantly lower RSA overall (p=0.038). State and trait anxiety did not mediate the relationship between diagnosis and physiology (all p>0.05).

Conclusions: Findings emphasize the critical role of context and a multisystem approach in examination of physiological social stress in youth with ASD. Results provide a foundation to elucidate unique response patterns across physiological systems to more precisely identify those with heightened physiological arousal across social contexts. It is proposed that future identification of subtypes may ultimately inform approaches for enhancing social engagement.