Interventions for anxiety in mainstream school‐aged children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review

Anxiety is a common problem in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other psychosocial interventions have been developed as alternatives to pharmacological intervention to treat anxiety symptoms in students with ASD without co-occurring intellectual disability. This present synthesis of evidence is a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the efficacy of interventions for reducing anxiety among school-aged children with ASD. The review summarizes evidence from 24 studies using an experimental or quasi-experimental design. The authors’ conclude that there is evidence that CBT is an effective behavioral treatment for anxiety in some children and youth with ASD without co-occurring intellectual disability. Evidence for other psychoeducational interventions is more limited, not just due to the popularity of CBT but also due to the quality of the smaller number of non-CBT studies available.