This trial examined stepped-care cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) among 96 autistic youth with co-occurring anxiety. Step 1 included an open trial of parent-led, therapist-guided bibliotherapy. Step 2 was family-based CBT for those who did not respond to Step 1 or maintenance for those who did. Eighteen participants (28%) who completed Step 1…

Purpose: Cognitive behaviour therapy based on the Clark and Wells (1995) model is a first-line treatment for neurotypical people seeking support for social anxiety. While autistic people frequently report high social anxiety, it is unclear how appropriate the model is for this population. Methods: Over 300 autistic and non-autistic adults…

Versions of cognitive behavioral therapy (Coping Cat, CC; Behavioral Interventions for Anxiety in Children with Autism, BIACA) have shown efficacy in treating anxiety among youth with autism spectrum disorder. Measures of efficacy have been primarily nomothetic symptom severity assessments. The current study examined idiographic coping outcomes in…

Autistic youth are more likely to experience depression than their non-autistic peers, yet research on risk and protective factors to depression in this population is limited. Behavioral activation (i.e., prioritizing and engaging in meaningful activities), including social activities, is an important mechanism in the pathway to depression in…

Purpose: Using data from a randomized clinical trial evaluating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children with autism and co-occurring anxiety, this study examined the relationship between autism features and anxiety symptoms throughout CBT. Methods: Two multilevel mediation analyses were run which examined the mediating role of changes in…

The aim of the present study was to examine the additive effect of elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on the video game Mindlight in decreasing anxiety of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A non-concurrent multiple baseline design with 8 children with ASD in the age of 8-12 was used. CBT did not have the hypothesized…

This article reports on a pilot study of a parent-only cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and anxiety difficulties. Twenty-one parents of anxious children with ASD (5-11 of age) completed the From Timid to Tiger intervention. Parent outcome measures were assessed at…

This study developed and tested the effectiveness of an app-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program in alleviating anxiety among adolescents and adults with autism without co-occurring intellectual disability. Thirty participants from 15 to 35 years old were randomly assigned to either the intervention or waitlist control group, and self-…

Co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses are very common in individuals with ASD. Little is known about the effect that co-occurring psychiatric conditions may have on treatment response to CBT for children with ASD and anxiety. The present study examined the relationship between co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses and response to CBT for anxiety in…

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programs adapted to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) effectively reduce anxiety when run in university clinics. Forty-nine children aged 8-14 years participated in a waitlist controlled study in a general child psychiatric hospital setting. Post-treatment 30% of the children were free of their…

When individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities exhibit severe problem behavior, assessment and treatment are often warranted. Parents of such individuals are at high risk for developing parenting stress. In this study, 194 parents completed the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form at their child's time of admission to…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at greater risk for experiencing high levels of anxiety symptoms. Recent evidence suggests Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may also be effective for anxiety reduction in some presentations of ASD. This meta-analysis evaluated twenty-three studies. Results yielded a moderate effect size (g =…

Anxiety disorders are among the most common co-occurring disorders for individuals with ASD. Several adaptations to cognitive behavioral approaches have been proposed for this population (Moree & Davis, 2010). The current study examined feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an ASD-specific adaptation of one-session treatment (OST) for…

Anxiety/obsessive-compulsive disorders are common among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two versions of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) are effective, with some advantage for a personalized, adapted version. This study evaluated predictors and moderators of standard CBT and adapted CBT. Youth (N = 167) ages 7-13 were randomized to…

This review aims to systematically summarize existing evidence to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-based interventions (CBIs) on psychological health and well-being among parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD). Six databases were searched to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from their inception to…