Anxiety and ASD: Current Progress and Ongoing Challenges.

South et al. (2017) read every paper on anxiety and autism. They pulled out three big themes.

First, kids with ASD show anxiety in different ways. Second, anxiety and ASD symptoms overlap. Third, we need treatments built for ASD, not generic anxiety kits.

The review shows anxiety in ASD is messy. One child may freeze. Another may line up toys faster.

Standard worry checklists miss these signs. The team says: adapt your tools, then adapt your treatment.

Clarke et al. (2017) ran a school CBT program the same year. Kids’ anxiety dropped and coping rose. The review’s call for setting-adapted care was already working.

Subramaniam et al. (2023) later tested group CBT in a hospital. Primary diagnosis scores stayed flat, but kids and parents still felt better. The weaker primary outcome looks like a clash, yet both trials used CBT. The difference is the yardstick: Chris used coping skills; R used strict diagnosis rules. Same idea, tougher test.

Burrows et al. (2018) asked 40 experts what to study next. They listed four must-dos: real-world CBT, objective measures, overlap symptoms, and how ASD traits shape response. The review flagged the problem; the consensus paper gave us the roadmap.

Stop copying anxiety protocols from the pediatric clinic. Start with ASD-shaped tools: parent + teacher + self reports, watch for shutdowns and sameness spikes, then pick CBT tweaked for communication and sensory needs. Your Monday session can include a visual worry scale and a break card—small moves that fit the science.