Preliminary Randomized Trial of Function-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Treat Obsessive Compulsive Behavior in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Individuals with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently experience obsessions and/or compulsions that are similar to those specified in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, little research exists on effective interventions for OCD-like behaviors (referred to as OCBs) in ASD. In a preliminary randomized controlled trial (RCT; N = 14), a manualized function-based cognitive-behavior therapy (Fb-CBT) consisting of traditional CBT components (psychoeducation and mapping, cognitive-behavioral skills training, exposure, and response prevention) as well as function-based behavioral assessment and intervention significantly decreased OCBs in 8- to 12-year-old children with ASD at post-treatment and 5-month follow-up. This multi-component treatment shows considerable promise, and a larger RCT is needed to further validate and expand these findings.