Treating anxiety disorders in children with high functioning autism spectrum disorders: a controlled trial.

Chalfant et al. (2007) ran a 12-week family group CBT program. Kids with high-functioning autism and an anxiety disorder came with parents.

Half the families started right away. The other half waited. Therapists used a CBT manual made for autism.

After 12 sessions, 71% of kids no longer met the rules for any anxiety diagnosis. In the wait group, 0% lost their diagnosis.

The drop was big and fast. Parents also said kids were calmer at home and school.

McConachie et al. (2014) tried a similar child-plus-parent group. They saw only small anxiety drops. The difference: they used the short 'Exploring Feelings' manual and only seven weeks.

de Jonge et al. (2025) stepped care even lighter. Parents read first, then got short CBT if needed. Anxiety stayed flat. The 2007 full-family group still gives the biggest punch.

Coffey et al. (2021) took a different road. They used a quick functional assessment and taught communication. Problem behavior and anxiety both fell. CBT is not the only tool that works.

If you serve autistic kids with clear anxiety diagnoses, run a full-family CBT group for at least 12 weeks. The 2007 recipe still gives the strongest signal. Shorter or lighter versions help a little, but not enough to drop diagnoses. Pair CBT with a brief FBA when behavior also shows up.