Review of interventions for the management of anxiety symptoms in children with ASD

Anxiety is a common accompanying symptom in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).To investigate interventions available for the management of anxietyin children with ASD internationally.Review was made of relevant studies found through PubMed, the National Institute of Health (NIH) publications and resources in the libraries of the University of Macedoniaand the Greek NationalResearch Foundation.Of the 372 studies retrieved dealing withinterventionsfor children with ASD who have anxiety disorders published from the 1980s to 2017, 137 were included in this review.Interventions includepharmacological intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT),socialrecreational (SR)programs,other psychosocial therapies, teaching social skillsand combinations of educational, psychological and medical treatment.Various methods for coping with anxiety in children with ASD have been applied, including pharmacotherapy, psychosocial andCBT interventions, parent education and school-based programs. A combination of approachesshould be selected, based onassessment of each child's particular characteristics.