The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle with emotional challenges which can lead to mental health issues. Research indicates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective in promoting emotion regulation, coping skills, and reducing anxiety. Using case presentations, CBT approaches to facilitate emotional well-being will be explained. Teens and young adults with ASD have social and emotional difficulties which, if not addressed as part of a comprehensive intervention program, often lead to significant mental health issues. Not only do social skills deficits make it difficult for clients with ASD to understand the thoughts and emotions of others, they also contribute to difficulties understanding and interpreting one’s own thoughts and feelings. These deficits in turn can lead to difficulties with modulating emotions and behavior. Further, coping skills, or our ability to manage challenging life situations, are learned socially, most often in ways that are not explicitly taught. Therefore, many bright individuals with ASD struggle with experiencing negative thoughts and feelings without possessing the skills necessary to problem solve and cope with such situations. The unfortunate combination of experiencing difficulties with emotion regulation along with having ineffective coping skills can lead to behavioral episodes, social rejection, impaired self- esteem, anxiety, and depression, and can increase the risk of inpatient hospitalization. These outcomes stress the importance of the availability of effective psychotherapy for verbal individuals with ASD.

This session will outline specific teaching strategies and the adaptationof components of CBT to more effectively teach emotions, and thinking about thinking to teens and young adults with ASD. As part of CBT, clients are taught to identify their emotions related to various triggers. Once able to identify their feelings, they are then taught how to manage and regulate these emotions using external stimuli, behavioral change, or internal/thought based techniques. All approaches used best fit an individual’s needs based on a comprehensive understanding of the person. These factors help to determine starting points for therapy, initial goals, and, how best to teach new skills.

CBT is an evidence based form of psychotherapy that is structured and goal oriented. Although originally developed for adults, CBT has been shown to be highly effective in treating issues facing children and teens. CBT focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that contribute to an individual’s distress. By focusing on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, CBT teaches clients to develop more effective coping skills. CBT also targets social skills deficits by directly teaching social norms and expectations as well as strategies for successful social interactions and relationship development. Research is accumulating that supports the use of CBT with clients with ASD (Reaven et al., 2009; Wood, Drahota, Sze, Har, Chiu & Langer, 2009; Sze & Wood, 2007; Gaus, 2007; Anderson & Morris, 2006).

Participants in this session will learn the importance of teaching emotion and thought identification and understanding to teens and young adults with ASD as well as how these skills can then be applied to teaching emotion regulation. Additionally, they will be introduced to the CBT model, which when adapted appropriately can be a highly effective approach for reducing social and emotional difficulties and improving the overall functioning of teens and young adults with ASD. Specific strategies and activities will be highlighted using case examples and therapy materials from our clinic’s CBT program.

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