Cognitive behavioral therapy for early adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and clinical anxiety: a randomized, controlled trial.

TitleCognitive behavioral therapy for early adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and clinical anxiety: a randomized, controlled trial.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2015
AuthorsWood JJ, Ehrenreich-May J, Alessandri M, Fujii C, Renno P, Laugeson E, Piacentini JC, De Nadai AS, Arnold E, Lewin AB, Murphy TK, Storch EA
JournalBehav Ther
Volume46
Issue1
Pagination7-19
Date Published2015 Jan
ISSN1878-1888
KeywordsAdolescent, Anxiety Disorders, Child, Child Development Disorders, Pervasive, Cognitive Therapy, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Family Therapy, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Parents, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Treatment Outcome
Abstract

Clinically elevated anxiety is a common, impairing feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A modular CBT program designed for preteens with ASD, Behavioral Interventions for Anxiety in Children with Autism (BIACA; Wood et al., 2009) was enhanced and modified to address the developmental needs of early adolescents with ASD and clinical anxiety. Thirty-three adolescents (11-15 years old) were randomly assigned to 16 sessions of CBT or an equivalent waitlist period. The CBT model emphasized exposure, challenging irrational beliefs, and behavioral supports provided by caregivers, as well as numerous ASD-specific treatment elements. Independent evaluators, parents, and adolescents rated symptom severity at baseline and posttreatment/postwaitlist. In intent-to-treat analyses, the CBT group outperformed the waitlist group on independent evaluators' ratings of anxiety severity on the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS) and 79% of the CBT group met Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale criteria for positive treatment response at posttreatment, as compared to only 28.6% of the waitlist group. Group differences were not found for diagnostic remission or questionnaire measures of anxiety. However, parent-report data indicated that there was a positive treatment effect of CBT on autism symptom severity. The CBT manual under investigation, enhanced for early adolescents with ASD, yielded meaningful treatment effects on the primary outcome measure (PARS), although additional developmental modifications to the manual are likely warranted. Future studies examining this protocol relative to an active control are needed.

DOI10.1016/j.beth.2014.01.002
Alternate JournalBehav Ther
PubMed ID25526831
PubMed Central IDPMC4272761
Grant ListR34 HD065270 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States