CBT for Children and Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders,edited by A. Scarpa,S. Williams White, & T. Attwood

ABSTRACT

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a manualized behavioral intervention originally developed by Eyberg (1988 Eyberg, S. (1988). Parent-child interaction therapy: Integration of traditional and behavioral concerns. Child &; Family Behavior Therapy, 10(1), 33–46. doi:10.1300/j019v10n01_04[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) to address disruptive behaviors in young children. Although previous research findings support the contention that components of PCIT would positively impact communication, behavior, and adaptive skills (Howard, Sparkman, Cohen, Green, &; Stanislaw, 2005; Lovaas, 1987 Lovaas, O. I. (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 3–9. doi:10.1037/0022-006x.55.1.3[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Remington et al., 2007 Remington, B., Hastings, R. P., Kovshoff, H., Degli Espinosa, F., Jahr, E., Brown, T., &; Ward, N. (2007). Early intensive behavioral intervention: Outcomes for children with autism and their parents after two years. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 112(6), 418–438. doi:10.1352/0895-8017(2007)112[418:eibiof]2.0.co;2[Crossref], [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]) in children with developmental disabilities, few studies are shown in the literature. In a modified version of PCIT, caregivers completed two phases of intervention with their child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). During the Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) phase, caregivers were taught to conduct mand training, follow-their child’s lead, provide attention for their child’s positive behaviors, and ignore their child’s negative behaviors. During the Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI) phase, caregivers were taught to give effective commands and follow through with demands. The goal of the current study was to determine whether children’s production of vocalizations increased after participation in a modified PCIT program. Data from two participants diagnosed with autism were included in the study. Outcomes of these two case studies show that both children displayed an increase in the total number of vocalizations emitted in the posttreatment observation relative to baseline. Additionally, caregivers of both participants displayed an increased number of positive behaviors in the posttreatment observation relative to baseline.     

Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: A Meta-Analysis

There is considerable evidence that children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are at increased risk of anxiety and anxiety disorders. However, it is less clear which of the specific DSM-IV anxiety disorders occur most in this population. The present study used meta-analytic techniques to help clarify this issue. A systematic review of the literature identified 31 studies involving 2,121 young people (aged <18 years) with ASD, and where the presence of anxiety disorder was assessed using standardized questionnaires or diagnostic interviews. Across studies, 39.6% of young people with ASD had at least one comorbid DSM-IV anxiety disorder, the most frequent being specific phobia (29.8%) followed by OCD (17.4%) and social anxiety disorder (16.6%). Associations were found between the specific anxiety disorders and ASD subtype, age, IQ, and assessment method (questionnaire versus interview). Implications for the identification and treatment of anxiety in young people with ASD are discussed.