Autistic children and their parents in the context of war: Preliminary findings.

While existing literature on the intersection of trauma and autism is limited, emerging evidence suggests heightened vulnerability of autistic children to the psychological consequences of traumatic events, including an elevated risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, parents of autistic children often experience elevated levels of negative emotional states, compared to parents of typically developing children. This study investigates the impact of terrorism and war on autistic and non-autistic children and their parents, presenting preliminary results from the initial data collection phase of a year-long longitudinal investigation of the experience of autistic children and their parents following Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. Data gathered within 30 days of the initial attack reveal that both autistic and non-autistic children exhibited clinically significant post-traumatic stress symptoms, with autistic children demonstrating a more pronounced manifestation. Moreover, parents of autistic children reported significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in the aftermath of the events, compared to an independent cohort of parents of autistic children assessed prior to the crisis. These results underscore the heightened susceptibility of autistic children to post-traumatic stress and the unique challenges confronted by their parents during times of conflict. The study highlights the imperative for tailored support services for autistic children and their families amidst traumatic incidents and stresses the need for further research in comparable contexts globally.

A Pilot Trial of SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) in Autism.

Family accommodation describes changes parents make to their behavior, intended to alleviate their child's distress, which stems from a psychopathology. In anxiety, studies show that accommodation alleviates distress in the short term but is associated with increased symptom severity, greater functional impairment, poorer treatment outcomes, increased caregiver burden and disruption to family functioning longitudinally. Research shows high prevalence of family accommodation of anxiety in autism. While the most common treatments for anxiety in autism are cognitive-behavior therapy and pharmacology, research is limited and other approaches must be considered. Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is a parent-based, manualized treatment for anxiety targeting family accommodation, which has been found to be acceptable and efficacious in treating childhood anxiety. This pilot trial examined the feasibility, acceptability, treatment-satisfaction, and preliminary efficacy of SPACE for anxiety in autism. Parents of 15 autistic children (ages 6-10 years) with at least average cognitive abilities exhibiting high levels of anxiety participated in 13 weekly sessions of SPACE. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed through enrollment, attrition rates, and adverse events. Of 26 eligible families, 22 (84.62%) elected to participate, 15 of whom (68.18%) completed treatment. Parents rated the treatment as highly satisfactory. Anxiety symptom severity and family accommodation were significantly reduced following treatment, with 86.66% of participants showing reliable change post-treatment, and this reduction was preserved at 2-month follow-up. This study provides preliminary evidence that SPACE is feasible, acceptable, satisfactory, and produces improvement in anxiety in the autistic population.Trial registration number: NCT04747262 Date of registration: February 10, 2021.