Overall three question naires were found robust in their measurement properties , the Spence Children 's Anxiety Scale , its revised version - the Revised Children 's Anxiety and Depression Scale , and also the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders .
Crucially the articles on measurement properties provided almost no evidence on responsiveness to change , nor on the validity of use of the tools for evaluation of interventions for children with ASD .
BACKGROUND Evidence about relevant outcomes is required in the evaluation of clinical interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders ( ASD ) .
However , to date , the variety of outcome measurement tools being used , and lack of knowledge about the measurement properties of some , compromise conclusions regarding the most effective interventions .
OBJECTIVES This two-stage systematic review aim ed to identify the tools used in studies evaluating interventions for anxiety for high-functioning children with ASD in middle childhood , and then to evaluate the tools for their appropriateness and measurement properties .
Brief Report: Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Parent-Reported Autism Symptoms in School-Age Children with High-Functioning Autism
This pilot study tested the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) on  parent-reported autism symptoms . Nineteen children with autism spectrum disorders and an anxiety disorder ( 7–11 years old ) were r and omly assigned to 16 sessions of CBT or a waitlist condition . The CBT program emphasized in vivo exposure supported by parent training and school consultation to promote social communication and emotion regulation skills . Parents completed a st and ardized autism symptom checklist at baseline and posttreatment/postwaitlist and 3-month follow-up assessment s. CBT outperformed the waitlist condition at posttreatment/postwaitlist on total parent-reported autism symptoms ( Cohen ’s d effect size = .77 ) . Treatment gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up . Further investigation of this intervention modality with larger sample s and broader outcome measures appears to be indicated
Overall three question naires were found robust in their measurement properties , the Spence Children 's Anxiety Scale , its revised version - the Revised Children 's Anxiety and Depression Scale , and also the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders .
Crucially the articles on measurement properties provided almost no evidence on responsiveness to change , nor on the validity of use of the tools for evaluation of interventions for children with ASD .
BACKGROUND Evidence about relevant outcomes is required in the evaluation of clinical interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders ( ASD ) .
However , to date , the variety of outcome measurement tools being used , and lack of knowledge about the measurement properties of some , compromise conclusions regarding the most effective interventions .
OBJECTIVES This two-stage systematic review aim ed to identify the tools used in studies evaluating interventions for anxiety for high-functioning children with ASD in middle childhood , and then to evaluate the tools for their appropriateness and measurement properties .