Literature review on effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders on reducing anxiety and improving daily living skills

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at increased risk for developing anxiety disorders. As a result, their high anxiety is affecting their daily life obviously. Meanwhile, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proved as the most successful treatment for many childhood psychiatric disorders during the decades. Proving the efficiency of using cognitive behavioral therapy, interest in using the CBT for children with ASD is growing as well. Therefore, in the first part of this paper, a literature review is given regarding effects of CBT on reducing anxiety for children with ASD. In the second part, the effects of CBT on improving daily living skills for children with ASD are reviewed. Lastly, the limitations to use CBT for children with ASD for choosing this intervention are discussed together.