In my (limited) experience, anxiety caused by AS can look exactly like defiance. Presented with a task he thinks he cannot possibly do, and unsure of what the consequences will be if he can't finish it, the child bursts into tears, rips up the assignment, checks out, whatever.
Looks like defiance to them; but if they can break the assignment down into meaningful small steps with positive reinforcement at each step, that behavior may disappear completely. The IEP can specify strategies of this kind.
It can also help if you treat the anxiety with meds or therapy or both.
DeeDee
