Regulating Together: Emotion Dysregulation Group Treatment for ASD Youth and Their Caregivers

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 53; no. 5; pp. 1942 - 1962
• Main Authors: Shaffer, Rebecca C., Schmitt, Lauren M., Reisinger, Debra L., Coffman, Marika, Horn, Paul, Goodwin, Matthew S., Mazefsky, Carla, Randall, Shelley, Erickson, Craig
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.05.2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adults; Aggression; Anger; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Brain; Care and treatment; Caregiver Training; Caregivers; Child and School Psychology; Child development; Children & youth; College Science; Coping; Demographic aspects; Departments; Depression (Psychology); Development and progression; Diagnosis; Emotion regulation; Emotional behavior; Emotional regulation; Emotional Regulation - physiology; Emotions; Female; Flexibility; Group Therapy; Health aspects; Hospitalization; Humans; Inpatient care; Intensive treatment; Interpersonal Relationship; Intervention; Male; Medical Schools; Mental Disorders; Mindfulness; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Outcomes of Treatment; Pediatrics; Pervasive developmental disorders; Problem Solving; Psychiatry; Psychological aspects; Psychology; Public Health; Reactivity; Self Control; Self destructive behavior; Skills; Social Development; Teenagers; Youth; United States; Autism; Reactivity; Emotion dysregulation; Group therapy; Mindfulness; Emotion regulation; Autism spectrum disorder
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05461-x

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience behavioral and emotional symptoms hypothesized to arise from emotion dysregulation (ED), difficulty modulating emotional experience, expression, and intensity in an acceptable and contextually appropriate manner. We developed Regulating Together (RT)—an intensive-outpatient, caregiver-assisted group program to meet the ASD + ED intervention critical need. A within-subjects trial was conducted (5-week-control lead-in period, 5-week-treatment, and 5-and 10-weeks-post-treatment follow-ups). Forty-four youth with ASD + ED (25 8–12, 19 13–18 yr-olds, 88% male, mean FSIQ of 96) participated. Improvements were found in reactivity, emotion regulation knowledge, and flexibility post-treatment and 10-weeks post-treatment. A reduction in inpatient hospitalization rates by 16% from the 12 months pre-RT to 12 months post-RT was observed. RT shows promise to reduce ED in ASD.