Returning to new teachers, classmates and subjects each fall can prompt anxiety for any student. But for autistic youth, who may experience the world differently from their peers, it can be overwhelming.
While school programs to help students on the spectrum cope with this anxiety have been lacking, an approach called Facing Your Fears in Schools that uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is showing promise for autistic students.
Judy Reaven, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at CU Anschutz and her colleagues, recently published research on the approach that combines education and exposure aspects in schools. Their recent paper involved working with students in three Colorado school districts and is a variation on their previous Facing Your Fears clinical program.
“Until we started our research, there have not been any systematically developed, manualized programs for anxiety and autism available in schools,” said Reaven, who has studied neurodevelopmental conditions and disabilities for over 40 years.
In the following Q&A, Reaven details what the research found as far as successes and potential barriers, and how parents, teachers and support networks can help autistic students with anxiety.