Last month, Science Daily published an online article about
new research touting the value of cognitive behavioral therapy for children
with autism. [To read this summary article, “Cognitive behavioral therapy can
improve emotion regulation in children with autism,” please click here.] Based
upon an article published recently in the Journal of Child Psychology and
Psychiatry, this research was done at York University’s Faculty of Health under
the direction of Associate Professor in Psychology Jonathan Weiss.
In this study, sixty-eight children with autism aged eight to twelve years old were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group received ten sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy right away, and the others were on a waiting list to receive therapy. The therapy sessions involved teaching the children to develop the emotional tools they need to face challenging situations. Their parents were also part of the therapy sessions, acting as co-therapists, practicing what they learned with their children. As Dr. Weiss notes, “We believe that children grow and develop and improve within the context of healthy families and this intervention aids to help the family unit more broadly to be the agent of change.”
The children’s behavior and emotions were assessed at the beginning and end of the research study. To prevent bias, they were evaluated by a psychologist who was not involved in the therapy sessions and who did not know which children received therapy or were on the waiting list. Seventy-four percent of the children who received therapy were rated as improved in contrast to just thirty-one percent of those who did not receive therapy. In response to these findings, Dr. Weiss notes, “We showed that children who received this treatment right away improved in their ability to manage their emotions, and in overall mental health problems, versus kids who were waiting for treatment.”
This groundbreaking research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy can help children with autism deal with not only anxiety but also other emotions, such as sadness and anger. Learning to manage emotions is crucial in autism since more than seventy percent of children cope with emotional issues: about 50% deal with anxiety and another 25-40% struggle with anger or depression. Because of the success researchers in this study found in using cognitive behavioral therapy with children who have autism, Dr. Weiss concludes, “We can use this same intervention to improve children’s skills more broadly regardless of what emotional challenge they have. We can make them more resilient to many emotional and mental health issues.”
According to the Mayo Clinic website, cognitive behavioral therapy involves working with a mental health counselor in a structured way to learn how to cope with stressful situations in life. The goal is to see challenges more clearly and to respond to them more effectively. Therapy sessions often involve learning and practicing relaxation and coping skills as well as stress management. Cognitive behavioral therapy usually includes identifying problems in life; discussing thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about these problems; recognizing thoughts about these problems that are negative or inaccurate; and reshaping any negative or inaccurate ways of thinking.
Although many children with autism participate in applied behavior analysis therapy, Alex has truly benefited from cognitive behavioral therapy. Working one hour per week with his behavioral therapist (as opposed to the more than twenty hours per week typically found in ABA therapy), Alex has learned to verbalize his concerns and to recognize faulty reasoning. For example, he tends to exaggerate problems in his mind, thinking that they will last “forever” and “never” be solved. His therapist has taught him coping and calming skills so that he can rationally analyze a situation and feel more in control when anxiety strikes. Moreover, she has taught him positive affirmation statements to recite whenever he feels overwhelmed, such as, “Everything will be all right.” Because his mind is quite logical, Alex has responded to the methods of cognitive behavioral therapy very well, and we have seen significant gains in his behavior and ability to deal with his emotions. Moreover, we are grateful for the kindness, patience, and expertise of his behavioral therapist who recognizes his potential and strives to make him better.
Hopefully, the successful results found in the recent research study on using cognitive behavioral therapy to help emotional issues in autism will encourage other therapists to use this form of therapy with more people who have autism. As we have seen first-hand, cognitive behavioral therapy teaches valuable skills to cope with a variety of issues in life, even beyond those posed by autism. Once again, we are grateful to God for leading us to a method and a therapist who can provide Alex with the guidance he needs so that he can overcome the obstacles of autism and lead a happier and more productive life.
In this study, sixty-eight children with autism aged eight to twelve years old were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group received ten sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy right away, and the others were on a waiting list to receive therapy. The therapy sessions involved teaching the children to develop the emotional tools they need to face challenging situations. Their parents were also part of the therapy sessions, acting as co-therapists, practicing what they learned with their children. As Dr. Weiss notes, “We believe that children grow and develop and improve within the context of healthy families and this intervention aids to help the family unit more broadly to be the agent of change.”
The children’s behavior and emotions were assessed at the beginning and end of the research study. To prevent bias, they were evaluated by a psychologist who was not involved in the therapy sessions and who did not know which children received therapy or were on the waiting list. Seventy-four percent of the children who received therapy were rated as improved in contrast to just thirty-one percent of those who did not receive therapy. In response to these findings, Dr. Weiss notes, “We showed that children who received this treatment right away improved in their ability to manage their emotions, and in overall mental health problems, versus kids who were waiting for treatment.”
This groundbreaking research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy can help children with autism deal with not only anxiety but also other emotions, such as sadness and anger. Learning to manage emotions is crucial in autism since more than seventy percent of children cope with emotional issues: about 50% deal with anxiety and another 25-40% struggle with anger or depression. Because of the success researchers in this study found in using cognitive behavioral therapy with children who have autism, Dr. Weiss concludes, “We can use this same intervention to improve children’s skills more broadly regardless of what emotional challenge they have. We can make them more resilient to many emotional and mental health issues.”
According to the Mayo Clinic website, cognitive behavioral therapy involves working with a mental health counselor in a structured way to learn how to cope with stressful situations in life. The goal is to see challenges more clearly and to respond to them more effectively. Therapy sessions often involve learning and practicing relaxation and coping skills as well as stress management. Cognitive behavioral therapy usually includes identifying problems in life; discussing thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about these problems; recognizing thoughts about these problems that are negative or inaccurate; and reshaping any negative or inaccurate ways of thinking.
Although many children with autism participate in applied behavior analysis therapy, Alex has truly benefited from cognitive behavioral therapy. Working one hour per week with his behavioral therapist (as opposed to the more than twenty hours per week typically found in ABA therapy), Alex has learned to verbalize his concerns and to recognize faulty reasoning. For example, he tends to exaggerate problems in his mind, thinking that they will last “forever” and “never” be solved. His therapist has taught him coping and calming skills so that he can rationally analyze a situation and feel more in control when anxiety strikes. Moreover, she has taught him positive affirmation statements to recite whenever he feels overwhelmed, such as, “Everything will be all right.” Because his mind is quite logical, Alex has responded to the methods of cognitive behavioral therapy very well, and we have seen significant gains in his behavior and ability to deal with his emotions. Moreover, we are grateful for the kindness, patience, and expertise of his behavioral therapist who recognizes his potential and strives to make him better.
Hopefully, the successful results found in the recent research study on using cognitive behavioral therapy to help emotional issues in autism will encourage other therapists to use this form of therapy with more people who have autism. As we have seen first-hand, cognitive behavioral therapy teaches valuable skills to cope with a variety of issues in life, even beyond those posed by autism. Once again, we are grateful to God for leading us to a method and a therapist who can provide Alex with the guidance he needs so that he can overcome the obstacles of autism and lead a happier and more productive life.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let
God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you
will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:2
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