Abstract
Anxiety is common among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and may amplify the core social disability, thus
necessitating combined treatment approaches. This pilot, randomized controlled trial evaluated the feasibility and preliminary
outcomes of the Multimodal Anxiety and Social Skills Intervention (MASSI) program in a sample of 30 adolescents with ASD and
anxiety symptoms of moderate or greater severity. The treatment was acceptable to families, subject adherence was high, and
therapist fidelity was high. A 16 % improvement in ASD social impairment (within-group effect size = 1.18) was observed on
a parent-reported scale. Although anxiety symptoms declined by 26 %, the change was not statistically significant. These findings
suggest MASSI is a feasible treatment program and further evaluation is warranted.
necessitating combined treatment approaches. This pilot, randomized controlled trial evaluated the feasibility and preliminary
outcomes of the Multimodal Anxiety and Social Skills Intervention (MASSI) program in a sample of 30 adolescents with ASD and
anxiety symptoms of moderate or greater severity. The treatment was acceptable to families, subject adherence was high, and
therapist fidelity was high. A 16 % improvement in ASD social impairment (within-group effect size = 1.18) was observed on
a parent-reported scale. Although anxiety symptoms declined by 26 %, the change was not statistically significant. These findings
suggest MASSI is a feasible treatment program and further evaluation is warranted.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.1007/s10803-012-1577-x
- Authors
- Susan W. White, Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 109 Williams Hall (0436), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Thomas Ollendick, Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 109 Williams Hall (0436), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Anne Marie Albano, Columbia Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Donald Oswald, Commonwealth Autism Service, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Cynthia Johnson, Autism Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Michael A. Southam-Gerow, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Inyoung Kim, Department of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Lawrence Scahill, Yale Child Study Center, School of Nursing, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Journal Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Online ISSN 1573-3432
- Print ISSN 0162-3257