Evidence-Based Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate deficits in social communication and the presence of restrictive or repetitive behaviors or interests that result in functional impairment. This chapter describes an evidence-based assessment approach to guide identification of intervention targets and treatment approaches. Psychological intervention should be tailored depending on many variables, such as the scope of intervention (i.e., focused on single domain or comprehensive), the age and functional level of the individual, and the context of treatment. A number of evidence-based interventions exist that span multiple disciplines and theoretical approaches targeting various outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy appears to be a promising approach to treatment in order to address comorbid symptoms of anxiety as well as core features of autism spectrum disorder (i.e., social communication skill deficits). Comprehensive interventions grounded in behavioral principles of learning yield improvements in various domains for young children. Behavioral and cognitive behavioral interventions exist that increase adaptive, language, cognitive, and communicative functioning and decrease psychological and behavioral symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavior. Therefore, for older children and, adolescents, the authors describe the evidence base for focal interventions that target specific problem areas.