Efficacy of a computer-assisted cognitive-behavioral therapy program in treating youth with anxiety and co-occurring autism spectrum disorder: Camp Cope A-Lot

The current research study examined the efficacy of both a computer-assisted cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) intervention program, Camp Cope-A-Lot (CCAL), for treating anxiety and a computer-assisted social skill intervention program, The Social Express (TSE) for improving social skills in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants included youth (n=24; 22 males and 2 females) ages 8-15 (M= 11.7) with a principal anxiety disorder and a diagnosis of ASD. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups, Group 1 and Group 2. Group 1 completed 12-session of CCAL treatment first and then 12-session of TSE intervention, while Group 2 completed 12-sessions of TSE intervention program first and then 12-sessions of CCAL treatment. All therapists were graduate level doctoral students trained to deliver the two interventions by a lead researcher with experience in both interventions. A cross-over design was employed so that all 24 participants completed both arms of the trial. Outcome measures were obtained at intake (T1), upon completion of first intervention arm of the trial (T2), and upon completion of second intervention arm of the trial (T3). Clinically significant findings supported CCAL as an efficacious treatment for youth with ASD who had a co-occurring anxiety disorder. Specifically, 63% of 24 participants who completed CCAL demonstrated significantly and clinically meaningful greater reductions in anxiety than participants who completed TSE. While TSE showed evidence of anxiety improvement, none of the children treated with TSE alone made clinically meaningful improvement with respect to their anxiety symptoms. TSE did appear to significantly improve social skills, but so did CCAL. Overall, CCAL appears to be an effective intervention for treating anxiety in youth with ASD.