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Adaptation of One-Session Treatment for Specific Phobias for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Non-concurrent Multiple Baseline Design: A Preliminary Investigation

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Abstract

Anxiety disorders are among the most common co-occurring disorders for individuals with ASD. Several adaptations to cognitive behavioral approaches have been proposed for this population (Moree & Davis, 2010). The current study examined feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an ASD-specific adaptation of one-session treatment (OST) for specific phobia (SP). Standard OST consists of one 3-h session followed by four weekly phone calls. Modifications for ASD included increased parental involvement, use of visual aids, and inclusion of four 1-h booster sessions in place of the four weekly phone calls. Visual inspection and Friedman tests revealed significant reductions in fear ratings and phobia severity from pre- to post-treatment and follow-up assessments. Modest changes were observed in behavioral avoidance. These findings provide initial evidence that this treatment merits further study.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research Seed Grant and the Organization for Autism Research, “Modification of One-Session Phobia Treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” to T. H. Ollendick (PI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech Child Study Center, Virginia Tech, Southwest, 460 Tuner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA

    Thomas Ollendick, Ashley Muskett, Sarah R. Radtke & Isaac Smith

  2. Department of Psychology (0436), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 109 Williams Hall, 890 Drillfield Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Ashley Muskett

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  1. Thomas Ollendick
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  2. Ashley Muskett
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Contributions

T.O. conceived of the presented idea, was the principal investigator for the project, and wrote the discussion section. A.M., S.R., and I.S. all collected data for the project, assisted with data analysis, wrote a portion of the final manuscript, and edited the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ashley Muskett.

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Ollendick, T., Muskett, A., Radtke, S.R. et al. Adaptation of One-Session Treatment for Specific Phobias for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Non-concurrent Multiple Baseline Design: A Preliminary Investigation. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 1015–1027 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04582-5

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