Dr. Chalfant provides clear, understandable explanations of the different types of anxiety disorders, how they affect people across the autism spectrum, and what interventions can help. The author explains a range of different types of strategies that can help manage and treat anxiety in school, home, and clinical settings and takes into consideration the different roles people play in a child’s or adult’s life: parent, sibling, teacher, etc. Readers learn about ways to modify behavior and/or the environment to indirectly reduce anxiety, as well as interventions, such as medication or psychotherapy, which deal with symptoms directly. The discussion of more formal interventions–psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and medication–show how these methods can target specific anxieties. Because anxiety is generally more common in parents and siblings of a child with ASD, the author also offers ways they too can reduce their symptoms.
© 2011
Audience: Parent, Professional