Review of interventions for the management of anxiety symptoms in children with ASD
Abstract
Background Anxiety is a common accompanying symptom in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Objectives To investigate interventions available for the management of anxietyin children with ASD internationally. Methods Review was made of relevant studies found through PubMed, the National Institute of Health (NIH) publications and resources in the libraries of the University of Macedoniaand the Greek NationalResearch Foundation. Results Of the 372 studies retrieved dealing withinterventionsfor children with ASD who have anxiety disorders published from the 1980s to 2017, 137 were included in this review.Interventions includepharmacological intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT),socialrecreational (SR)programs,other psychosocial therapies, teaching social skillsand combinations of educational, psychological and medical treatment. Conclusions Various methods for coping with anxiety in children with ASD have been applied, including pharmacotherapy, psychosocial andCBT interventions, parent education and school-based programs. A combination of approachesshould be selected, based onassessment of each child's particular characteristics.
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Severe anxiety in ASD youth has been associated with aggression, decreased participation in social activities, and poor social relationships.
“Anxiety levels are positively associated with ASD severity [16], and severe anxiety in ASD youth has also been associated with aggression, decreased participation in social activities, and poor social relationships [95].”
From Pharmacological treatment in autism: a proposal for guidelines on common co-occurring psychiatric symptoms (2025) · cites this paper as [95]
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- Authors
- Delli, C. K. S., Polychronopoulou, S. A., Kolaitis, G. A., & Antoniou, A. S. G.
- Affiliations
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-12
- Volume
- 95
- Pages
- 449-463
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2898968932
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 0.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorders, children, pharmacotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills training, parent education, school programs, psychosocial interventions
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety, Child, Humans
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