title: Assessment and Treatment of Anxiety in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anxiety is one of the most prevalent co-occurring symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The assessment and treatment recommendations proposed here are intended to help primary care providers with the assessment and treatment of anxiety in ASD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network/Autism Intervention Research on Physical Health Anxiety Workgroup, a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers with expertise in ASD, developed the clinical recommendations. The recommendations were based on available scientific evidence regarding anxiety treatments, both in youth with ASD and typically developing youth, and clinical consensus of the workgroup where data were lacking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Assessment of anxiety requires a systematic approach to evaluating symptoms and potential contributing factors across various developmental levels. Treatment recommendations include psychoeducation, coordination of care, and modified cognitive-behavioral therapy, particularly for children and adolescents with high-functioning ASD. Due to the limited evidence base in ASD, medications for anxiety should be prescribed cautiously with close monitoring of potential benefits and side effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessment and treatment of clinical anxiety in youth with ASD require a standardized approach to improve outcomes for youth with ASD. Although this approach provides a framework for clinicians, clinical judgment is recommended when making decisions about individual patients.
authors.affiliation: Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; vasa@kennedykrieger.org.
authors.forename: Roma A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Vasa
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Psychology at the University of Missouri and Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Columbia, Missouri;
authors.forename: Micah O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.affiliation: Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland;
authors.forename: Rajneesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
authors.forename: Amanda E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Children's Health Council, Palo Alto, California;
authors.forename: Maria Pilar
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Adolescent Health Research and Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and.
authors.forename: Alixandra A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nozzolillo
authors.affiliation: Nisonger Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and.
authors.forename: L Eugene
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Coury
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D057566:Self Report