Cognitive-behavioral therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a continuum of cognitive and social problems that vary considerably in both impact and presentation for each child affected. Although successful interventions have been developed that target specific skill deficits often exhibited by children with autism, many of those interventions are exclusively behavioral in nature, and do not address the cognitive components of presenting problems. The use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to address issues related to ASD, however, has been increasing. More specifically, CBT interventions have often been used to address issues of anxiety for children with ASD, and these promising results may be useful to inform practices in schools. This review examines existing literature on CBT interventions that have been evaluated with children with ASD and suggests methods and implications for adapting these interventions for use within the school setting.