1.How would you differentiate social anxiety disorder from autism spectrum disorder?
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a mental health chronic condition associated with
extreme fear in social settings. Individuals with social anxiety disorder have difficulty talking to
other people, being in social gatherings, and fear meeting new people. This is because people
with SAD fear being judged and scrutinized by others (Kleberg et al., 2017). Autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) is a condition in which individuals experience persistent challenges in speech,
social interactions and experience repetitive behaviors (Kleberg et al., 2017). People with ASD
and SAD have major difficulties interacting socially. Although social anxiety disorder and
autism are commonly occurring disorders, they greatly differ in their clinical manifestation and
symptoms. This paper seeks to discuss how one can differentiate social anxiety disorder from
autism spectrum disorder. Social Anxiety Disorder versus Autism Order
Firstly, ASD is only diagnosed in children, while SAD is diagnosed commonly in adults.
Children diagnosed with ASD tend to engage in repetitive behaviors, have problems maintaining
contact during social interactions, and have a problem developing friendships (Cuncic, 2021).
Secondly, individuals with SAD have the ability to form relationships, but they are significantly
affected by anxiety. In other words, anxiety is the force behind the difficulties experienced by
individuals with SAD. However, people with ASD have serious challenges with communication,
which is a critical element in forming relationships (Cuncic, 2021). This means that anxiety does
not need to be present in the diagnosis of ASD. Instead, behavior for people with ASD is
affected by factors such as difficulty reading and understanding emotional and social cues. This
shows how different the two co-occurring conditions are in real life. Social Anxiety Disorder versus Autism;

People with autism may exhibit symptoms such as rudeness, talking too loudly, inability
to understand humor, problems taking hints, and trouble understanding gestures and facial expressions. People with social anxiety disorder display exactly opposite characteristics. For instance, such people report fearing embarrassment or humiliation, are sensitive to the slightest gesture and body language of others, speak too softly and stand too far away (Cuncic, 2021). In other words, people with autism do and act the opposite of people with SAD, which is a clear indication of their differences. Read more 
Neuroimaging research studies find that for people with SAD, the amygdala is activated
when understanding facial expressions (Cuncic, 2021). However, the same research finds that for
people with ASD, the prefrontal cortex is activated when processing facial images (Cuncic,
2021). This can be interpreted to mean that people with autism can easily decode the meaning of
a facial expression logically and not recording an automatic emotional reaction.
Another way to distinguish between autism and social anxiety disorder is by analyzing
the symptoms. For instance, people with autism have major difficulties understanding the social
world, which can influence the development of anxiety (Spain et al., 2018). Similarly, being
overly sensitive to external stimuli such as loud noise can make one anxious (Spain et al., 2018).
This indicates that anxiety is part of autism, while autism is not part of anxiety. As a matter of
fact, anxiety makes autism symptoms worse, causing independent living and behavioral
problems. Social Anxiety Disorder versus Autism;
Also, the treatment used for the two disorders shows that they are different. The
evidence-based treatment for autism includes occupational therapy, speech therapy, and
occupational therapy (Sarris, 2018). None of these treatment approaches is used for individuals
with social anxiety disorder. Instead, SAD is treated using talk therapy, cognitive behavioral
therapy, psychotherapy, and antidepressants (Sarris, 2018). Social Anxiety Disorder versus Autism;