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U of R online course helps parents help their children with autism face their fears

'We've modified existing programs and existing techniques based on what we know from the research works best for kids with autism and there really aren't a lot of options like that'

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Drawing on the expertise of parents and coaches, Sarah Elizabeth Ivens is providing a free online program to reduce anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

For her dissertation research, the PhD student in clinical psychology at the University of Regina has developed an online program for parents who have children, seven to 12 years, who have ASD.

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While anxiety is a problem for approximately 10 per cent of typically developing children and adolescents, it impacts about 40 per cent of those with autism.

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One disorder can be difficult, but two disorders makes it even more complicated, Ivens said.

“We also know that these are kids who, because of their autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, respond differently to various parts of treatment and there’s going to be challenges around treatment,” Ivens said. “It’s important for parents to know that we’ve taken into account that their child has autism.”

It can be difficult to get a child with ASD to see a professional in a different environment where they might be uncomfortable.

“And you’re asking a family that’s already got extra things on their plate to find that time,” Ivens said. “When you start talking about parents in rural communities, those barriers are greater.”

The online treatment is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) — the gold standard to treat anxiety.

CBT works on the premise that thoughts are connected to emotions and behaviours.

“By understanding the connection between those things and interrupting the pattern that has the influence between the three then you can make real change,” Ivens said.

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It’s been shown CBT works for children with autism, but it must be tweaked to address their needs, Ivens said.

“By combining the expertise of the parent, who is an expert about their child, with the expertise of the coach who is an expert in the therapy, we’re really hoping to get the most bang for our bucks,” Ivens said.

Parents are guided through seven modules by an online coach who provides guidance and support.

The first module is an introduction about anxiety.

Kids with autism often display their anxiety in different ways, Ivens said.

Anxious children might say they’re scared or nervous about a situation, but those with autism are less likely to label their emotions. Instead, when they’re anxious, they have behavioural outbursts.

“They often have less insight into the connections between what makes them anxious than typically developing kids,” Ivens said.

Over nine weeks, parents learn relaxation techniques and skills, such as implementing reward systems, to encourage co-operation from the child.

“Then we go into thoughts and how you can have conversations with your child around anxiety-provoking thoughts that they might have and finding alternative thoughts,” Ivens said.

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The course helps parents help their children face their fears.

“We know that avoidance of whatever makes you anxious, while it feels like a natural thing to do, is the worst thing you can do for your anxiety because you’re teaching yourself that what you’re scared of deserves your fear,” Ivens said.

If a child is afraid of a dog, it’s too much to ask him to pet the animal.

“But we can sit and watch a video with a dog in it and once that becomes less scary then we can get a little closer to petting that dog,” Ivens said.

The pilot program, open to parents across the province, provides supports to ensure children don’t relapse into old patterns and can transfer their new skills to school or the community.

Participation in the program is expected to take a minimum of one hour a week.

Interested parents can complete a screening questionnaire at http://uregina.ca/~loutzlyn/Research.html

That’s followed by a phone interview to ensure the program is a good fit for the child.

“We’ve modified existing programs and existing techniques based on what we know from the research works best for kids with autism and there really aren’t a lot of options like that,” Ivens said. “I’m extremely proud of what we’ve developed.”

pcowan@postmedia.com

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