Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at increased risk for developing anxiety disorders relative to children without ASD and those with other developmental disabilities. Thirty-three children with high-functioning ASD and their parents participated in an original, manualized cognitive behavioral group treatment aimed at reducing severity of anxiety symptoms. Parent-child dyads entered into either an Active Treatment Condition or Wait List Control Condition. Results indicated significant reductions in parent report of anxiety symptoms after the delivery of the group treatment, compared with the Wait List Control Condition. The findings of this study are promising, particularly in light of the high rates of comorbidity between ASD and anxiety. Limitations and recommendations for future research directions are discussed.

Modifications necessary to make cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) protocols accessible to children with ASD are presented, along with specific suggestions for evaluating and treating anxiety symptoms.

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic InterviewRevised (ADI-R) are considered to be the 'gold standard' In diagnostic evaluations for autism. Developed as research tools and now gaining wide clinical use, the ADOS/ADI-R assessment package has been demonstrated to differentiate children with autism from those with other developmental dis abilities; however, little work concerning the reliability and validity of the tools In children with a known history of psychosis has been undertaken. We report on the administration of the ADOS, ADI-R and clinical judgment In three cases of Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia. All 3 children met both ADOS and ADI-R criteria for an autism spectrum diagnosis, even though none of them received a clinical diagnosis of autism from either a research child psychiatrist or an experi enced clinically trained, research psychologist with expertise in autism. Issues concerning overlap of symptom presentation and Implications for research and clinical use of these assessment tools are discussed.

Anxiety disorders and other co-occurring psychiatric disorders significantly impact adaptive functioning for many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This descriptive study examines the complexity of psychiatric comorbidity in treatment-seeking youth with ASD and anxiety symptoms. Forty-two parents of 8- to 14-year-old children with ASD and anxiety symptoms completed a structured psychiatric interview (K-SADS) and provided information about the child’s past and current psychological functioning as part of a screening process to enter an anxiety intervention program. Overall, comorbidity was very complex, with children obtaining an average of 4 psychiatric diagnoses (including anxiety disorders) on a structured clinical interview (range = 0–9). Onset and course differed by psychiatric disorder. Complexity of comorbidity did not differ significantly by age, sex, or autism severity. Despite clinical significance of the symptoms reported, few children were currently (or ever) engaged in mental health treatment or group psychosocial intervention. Although the specificity of the current sample limits the generalizability of these results, findings suggest that treatment-seeking children with ASD and anxiety often present with additional psychiatric symptoms, which supports a transdiagnostic approach to research and intervention in this area. Accurate assessment of comorbidity may provide valuable information for families and clinicians regarding individualized treatment approaches.

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