CONCLUSION Non-specialist mediated interventions for autism spectrum disorder demonstrate effectiveness across a range of outcomes for children with autism and their caregivers
INTRODUCTION In recent years , several non-specialist mediated interventions have been developed and tested to address problematic symptoms associated with autism .
These can be implemented with a fraction of cost required for specialist delivered interventions .
This review represents a robust evidence of clinical effectiveness of these interventions in improving the social , motor and communication deficits among children with autism .
Changes in anxiety following a randomized control trial of a theatre-based intervention for youth with autism spectrum disorder
Increased anxiety and stress are frequently found in children with autism spectrum disorder and are associated with social challenges . Recently , we reported changes in social competence following peer-mediated , theatre-based intervention . The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the intervention on reducing anxiety and stress .  Participants included 30 youth with autism spectrum disorder ( 8–14 years old ) r and omly assigned to the experimental ( 17 ) or waitlist control ( 13 ) group . Pretest adjusted , between-group differences were analyzed for state-anxiety , trait-anxiety , play-based cortisol , and diurnal cortisol . Pearson correlations were conducted between anxiety , cortisol , and group play . Significant pretest-adjusted between-group differences at posttest were observed on trait-anxiety ( F(1 , 27 ) = 9.16 , p = 0.005 ) but not state-anxiety ( F(1 , 27 ) = 0.03 , p = 0.86 ) , showing lower trait-anxiety in the experimental group . There were no between-group differences on cortisol . There was a significant negative correlation between group play and trait-anxiety ( r = −0.362 , p = 0.05 ) . Playground cortisol correlated with group play , for the experimental group ( r = 0.55 , p = 0.03 ) . The theatre-based , peer-mediated intervention not only contributes to improvement in social competence in youth with autism spectrum disorder but also contributes to reductions in trait-anxiety associated with more social interaction with peers . Results suggest that some degree of physiological arousal is essential for social interaction
CONCLUSION Non-specialist mediated interventions for autism spectrum disorder demonstrate effectiveness across a range of outcomes for children with autism and their caregivers
INTRODUCTION In recent years , several non-specialist mediated interventions have been developed and tested to address problematic symptoms associated with autism .
These can be implemented with a fraction of cost required for specialist delivered interventions .
This review represents a robust evidence of clinical effectiveness of these interventions in improving the social , motor and communication deficits among children with autism .