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…

Exposure and response prevention is an evidence-based intervention recommended as a first-line treatment for childhood anxiety disorders. Despite over a century of research establishing its efficacy, many school- and college-aged youth fail to receive timely and effective treatment. This brief review will summarize the rationale and efficacy of…

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…

Psychiatric epidemiologists, developmental psychopathologists, prevention scientists, and treatment researchers have long speculated that treating child anxiety disorders could prevent alcohol and other drug use disorders in young adulthood. A primary challenge in examining long-term effects of anxiety disorder treatment from randomized controlled…

Background: Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience symptoms of various mental disorders along with the characteristics that define ASD. High rates of several psychiatric disorders have been reported in people with ASD such as anxiety, depression, cognitive problems, emotional regulation difficulties and…

Anxiety disorders are one of the most commonly re-occurring co-occurring diagnoses of children with autism, affecting approximately as many as 84% of children with ASD (Chalfant, et al., 2006) as opposed to 13% of children without autism (van Steensel et al., 2011). A growing body of research indicates that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an…

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for child anxiety disorders. Low-intensity forms of CBT, such as guided parent-delivered CBT (GPD-CBT), have been developed to increase access; however, it is unclear why some children benefit from this treatment and others do not. This qualitative study aimed to increase understanding…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in socialization and communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviors or interests across development (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Youth with ASD have an increased risk for developing anxiety disorders (Mattila et al., 2010). Anxiety…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience obsessions and compulsions similar to those specified in "DSM-5" for obsessive compulsive disorder yet little controlled research exists on treating these behaviours. Thirty-seven children (7-13 years old) were randomly assigned to a 9-week functional behavior-based cognitive…

Mental health treatment in schools has the potential to improve youth treatment access. However, school-specific barriers can make implementing evidence-based interventions difficult. Task-shifting (i.e., training lay staff to implement interventions) and computer-assisted interventions may mitigate these barriers. This paper reports on a…

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which can cause significant impairment in personal, social, and academic contexts, affects nearly half a million children in the United States. This step-by-step guide provides mental health professionals with an adaptable, evidence-based model that uses cognitive behavior therapy to treat pediatric OCD. The…

Research has shown that rates of clinical anxiety levels are higher among young people with an ASD than their typically developing peers. This study conducted an exploratory investigation into the impact of a specifically tailored CBT group programme on anxiety levels in young people with ASD. The 12 week CBT programme was delivered to 12 children…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychosocial approach to the treatment of Selective Mutism (SM). Four children with SM along with their parents and teachers participated in the study. A comprehensive assessment was completed; manualized treatment was implemented through a conjoint behavioral consultation approach,…

This study examined the nature and correlates of hoarding among youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Forty children with ASD and a comorbid anxiety disorder were administered a battery of clinician-administered measures assessing presence of psychiatric disorders and anxiety severity. Parents completed questionnaires related to child…

Each year, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) releases a list of scientific advances that represent significant progress in the field. The "2020 Summary of Advances in Autism Research" provides short, plain language summaries of the top research breakthroughs selected by the IACC from a pool of research articles…