A program to help children with autism and anxiety using cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Official title: Feasibility, Preliminary Effectiveness, and Sustainability of a Cognitive-BehavioralTherapy Program Tailored for Youth with Autism and Anxiety Treated in Real-WorldCommunity-Based Clinics
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-10999208 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is creating a special therapy program to help children with autism who feel anxious, and it’s designed with input from parents and experts to make sure it really helps families in their everyday lives.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $271,547 |
| NIH project number | 7R34MH128439-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10999208 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years with autism spectrum disorder who also experience anxiety disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have autism spectrum disorder or who do not experience anxiety may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program specifically designed for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who also experience anxiety. The program, called the Community-based Anxiety Program Tailored for Autism (CAPTA), will be created with input from parents, clinicians, and community leaders to ensure it meets the needs of families in real-world settings. The research will involve assessing the needs of stakeholders and evaluating the effectiveness of the program in community mental health clinics. By tailoring the intervention to the unique challenges faced by these children, the goal is to improve their mental health outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide an effective treatment option for children with autism and anxiety, improving their overall well-being and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that modified cognitive-behavioral therapy can be effective for children with autism and anxiety, suggesting that this tailored approach may also yield positive results.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Storch, Eric a. — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Storch, Eric a.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how anxiety and ADHD affect autism spectrum disorder
This study is looking at how conditions like anxiety and ADHD affect children with autism, so we can better understand their needs and improve how we diagnose and treat them.
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Understanding anxiety in adolescents with autism through body responses
This study is looking at how the body's natural responses can help us understand anxiety in teenagers with autism, and it aims to find patterns that show how anxiety levels change in different situations and among different backgrounds.
-
Understanding and treating anxiety in children with autism
This study is looking at how anxiety affects kids with autism and is testing a medication called buspirone to see if it can help reduce their anxiety symptoms, all while trying to understand how their bodies respond to treatment.
-
Neural roots of how autistic adults understand word meaning
A study to understand how adults with autism process word meanings in the brain, aiming to improve language support.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.