Autism Spectrum Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Autism spectrum disorder, Anger, Randomized controlled trial
Brief summary
Children on the autism spectrum often show aggressive behavior. Treatment can train children to be more aware of their emotions. Investigators studied the effectiveness of an attention-based intervention tailored on aggressive behavior problems and the use of anger coping strategies of school aged autistic children with anger regulation problems.
Detailed description
Investigators studied the effectiveness of an attention-based intervention tailored on aggressive behavior problems and the use of anger coping strategies of school aged autistic children with anger regulation problems. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT), children were allocated to the attention-based treatment in combination with a psycho-educational parent-training (treatment group) or to the parent-training only (active control group).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAnger can go!
The intervention Anger Can Go! was designed to treat anger regulation problems in autistic children aged 8 to 13 years old. The intervention consists of nine sessions of 60 minutes and is divided in four phases. Phase 1: psycho-education, affect-education and measuring anger with an anger-thermometer. This is a self-report scale presented as the drawing of a thermometer, that allows the child to indicate his level of anger, as linked to specific bodily and behavioral representations on a scale from 0 to 3. Phase 2: making a functional behavior assessment (FBA) and taking a time-out at a low anger-level (between 1 and 2 on the scale 0 to 3) to prevent aggressive outbursts. Phase 3: taking a time-out at a low anger-level (between 1 and 2 on the scale 0 to 3) to prevent aggressive outbursts, shifting attention away from aversive stimuli, to cope with the stress of the anger provoking situation. Phase 4: creating solutions to cope with an anger provoking situation.
BEHAVIORALParent psycho-education
Three psycho-educational parent group sessions (take place before the children's sessions in intervention group). Parents meet with other parents and a therapist to learn about the nature of their Expressed Emotion (EE) and how it relates to the child's aggressive behavior.
Sponsors
VU University of Amsterdam
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
8 Years to 13 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Primary diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder * age 8 - 13 * seeking treatment for aggressive behaviour problems
Exclusion criteria
* psychotropic medication still being set
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Anger coping strategies | At week 0, before the intervention group received treatment | The Behavioral Anger Response Questionnaire for children (BARQ-C) |
| Aggressive behavior problems: Arguing, Temper tantrums, Destroying things and Physical violence | At week 0, before the intervention group received treatment | Questionnaire Social Behavior (QSB) measuring behavioral and emotion regulation problems typical for autistic children. |
| Aggressive behavior problems: aggression as reported by parent | At week 0, before the intervention group received treatment | The aggression sub scale from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Minimum value: 0, maximum value: 36. A higher score means more aggression. |
| Aggressive behavior problems: aggression as reported by teacher | At week 0, before the intervention group received treatment | The aggression sub scale from the Teacher Rating Form (TRF). Minimum value: 0, maximum value: 36. A higher score means more aggression. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of life of the child | At week 0, before the intervention group received treatment | Pediatric Quality of life inventory (Peds ql): Physical Functioning, Emotional Functioning, Social Functioning and School Functioning. |
| Social impairment due to autism symptoms | At week 0, before the intervention group received treatment | Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Minimum value: 0, maximum value: 195. A higher score means more impairments. |
| Parental stress | At week 0, before the intervention group received treatment | Nijmeegse Ouderlijke Stress Index (NOSI). Minimum value: 6, maximum value: 66. A higher score means more stress |
| Parental well-being | At week 0, before the intervention group received treatment | Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Minimum value: 0, maximum value: 360. A higher score indicates a worse well-being. |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed