Facing Your Fears: Group Therapy for Managing Anxiety in Children with High-Functioning Autism

Presented by:
Judy Reaven Ph.D.

Registration Form (.pdf)

About the Presenter
Dr. Reaven is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine. Since 2001, she has been Director of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic of JFK Partners and is closely involved in clinical work, directly delivering psychological evaluations and treatment interventions for children with developmental disabilities (autism spectrum disorders in particular), and providing clinical supervision to trainees across disciplines. Dr. Reaven has published extensively on the use of CBT in the treatment of anxiety in children with ASD – her current research is being funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health.

About the Workshop
Children with high-functioning ASD are at higher risk for developing psychiatric symptoms, particularly anxiety which can interfere significantly with the child’s ability to participate in home, school, and community activities. Research has demonstrated that cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBT) are very successful with typical children and adolescents with anxiety symptoms. Dr. Reaven and her collaborators have taken this approach and adapted it to the needs of children with high-functioning autism, providing a manual that can be used by clinicians working collaboratively with parents (Facing Your Fears: Group Therapy for Managing Anxiety in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders, by Reaven, Blakeley-Smith, Nichols, & Hepburn, in press: www.brookespublishing.com/store/books/reaven-71783/index.htm).