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Defining Treatment Response and Symptom Remission for Anxiety Disorders in Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorders Using the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale

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An Erratum to this article was published on 14 August 2015

Abstract

This study examined optimal guidelines to assess treatment response and remission for anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS). Data was collected for 108 children aged 7–16 years with comorbid anxiety and ASD before and after receiving cognitive behavior therapy. Optimal cut-offs on the PARS were assessed using signal detection analyses using receiver operating characteristic methods. Maximum agreement with response criteria was achieved at 15 % reduction in symptoms on the PARS. Maximum agreement with remission criteria was achieved at 40 % reduction in symptoms, or at a score of 10 or below at post-treatment. Results have implications for standardizing criteria used in research trials and clinical practice.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant to the last author from the All Children’s Hospital Research Foundation, National Institute of Child Health and Development (1R34HD065274), and University of South Florida Internal Grant. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Child Health and Development or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    Carly J. Johnco, Adam B. Lewin & Eric A. Storch

  2. Rothman Center for Pediatric Neuropsychiatry, Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, 880 6th Street South Suite 460, Box 7523, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Carly J. Johnco

  3. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Alessandro S. De Nadai, Adam B. Lewin & Eric A. Storch

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Adam B. Lewin & Eric A. Storch

  5. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Jill Ehrenreich-May

  6. Division of Child Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jeffrey J. Wood

  7. Division of Psychological Studies in Education, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jeffrey J. Wood

  8. Department of Health Policy and Management, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch

  9. Rogers Behavioral Health – Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch

  10. All Children’s Hospital – Johns Hopkins Medicine, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch

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  1. Carly J. Johnco
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  2. Alessandro S. De Nadai
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  3. Adam B. Lewin
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  4. Jill Ehrenreich-May
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  5. Jeffrey J. Wood
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  6. Eric A. Storch
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Correspondence to Carly J. Johnco.

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Johnco, C.J., De Nadai, A.S., Lewin, A.B. et al. Defining Treatment Response and Symptom Remission for Anxiety Disorders in Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorders Using the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 3232–3242 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2483-9

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