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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Anxiety Disorders in Autism: Adapting Treatment for Adolescents

Website
Funder: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Currently recruiting? No

Contact: Amanda Collier
acollie2@health.usf.edu | 727.767.8230

Description:

Comorbid anxiety disorders affect as many as 80% of youth with autism spectrum disorders, causing substantial distress and impairment over and above the autism spectrum diagnosis alone. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold standard treatment among typically developing youth with an anxiety disorder and when adapted, shows promise in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and comorbid anxiety. However, there is currently no psychotherapy protocol tailored to meet the unique needs of young adolescents with ASD and comorbid anxiety. Given this, the present study seeks to develop and test a new CBT therapy in adolescents with autism and comorbid anxiety.

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