Investigators: Abby Chee, Andrew Whitehouse, Claudia Ong, Gail Alvares, Katia Haines, Rebecca Eato
Project description
Anxiety is the most common co-occurring condition faced by people on the autism spectrum, with individuals more than two and a half times more likely to have an anxiety disorder diagnosis in their lifetime compared to the general population. This project will trial the effects of an early parent-mediated group program to help empower parents to support their child's difficulties with uncertainty and unknown situations that cause them anxiety. This therapy program will target children aged 4-7 years who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, showings signs of anxiety, worry or distress in unknown situations or environments. Parents will take part in eight small group sessions to develop individual techniques to manage their child’s anxiety with strategies, specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum. The aims for this project are to find out if this therapy helps reduce difficulties with managing uncertainty and anxiety in young children and increases parents' confidence in supporting their child.
External collaborators
- Mirko Uljarevic (University of Melbourne)
- John Wray (Department of Health WA)
- Murray Maybery (University of Western Australia)
- Jacqui Rodgers (University of Newcastle Upon Tyne)
- Iliana Magiati (University of Western Australia)