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Cognitive behavioral therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder: A prospective observational study
René Kurz1, Julia Huemer2, Elvira Muchitsch3
1Medical University of Vienna, Department of Paediatrics, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Objective:
To evaluate prospectively the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Methods:
Drug-naïve children who met the DSM-V criteria for a diagnosis of ASD were recruited from a day care center, specialized in long-term treatment of children and adolescents with ASD. Symptom assessment was performed using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) before (base-line) and after 12 months (follow-up) of CBT.
Results:
Nine boys with a mean age of 6 (±2.0) years were included. Compared to baseline, significant improvements of symptoms of irritability (p = 0.012), hyperactivity (p = 0.008) and lethargy (p = 0.008) were observed at follow-up.
Conclusion:
Results indicate that CBT is an effective therapy for children with ASD. Larger studies are needed to give more details about which symptoms respond best in these patients.
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