Case report: Co-occurring autism spectrum disorder (Level One) and obsessive-compulsive disorder in a gender-diverse adolescent.

This fictionalized case report captures the common themes and considerations during the diagnostic assessment and behavioral treatment of adolescents demonstrating symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as gender-diversity concerns. Our patient was a white, non-Hispanic 17-year-old individual who identified as gender-neutral but had been assigned female at birth. Symptoms presented were social withdrawal, rigid rule-following behavior, unusual repetitive behavior, impairments in social communication skills, sensory sensitivity, body dissatisfaction, self-injury, and anxiety related to contamination, perfectionism, and social interactions.

The behavioral avoidance task using imaginal exposure (BATIE): a paper-and-pencil version of traditional in vivo behavioral avoidance tasks.

Behavioral avoidance tasks (BATs) have been used for decades in the assessment of specific phobias, but they also involve a number of prohibitive difficulties. This study investigated a new imaginal/self-report instrument, the Behavioral Avoidance Task Using Imaginal Exposure (BATIE), and evaluated whether it was an efficient paper-and-pencil alternative. Forty-nine adults diagnosed with specific phobias were matched to 49 participants without those particular phobias who served as control participants.

Fear of anxiety as a partial mediator of the relation between trauma severity and PTSD symptoms.

Fear of anxiety has previously been found to be a predictor of overall symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current exploratory study examines the relationship between fear of anxiety and symptoms of PTSD in a sample of adults exposed to Hurricane Katrina. Fear of anxiety was found to partially mediate the relationship between the severity of trauma and the severity of PTSD.

Family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: comparison of intensive and weekly approaches.

Objective: To examine the relative efficacy of intensive versus weekly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Method: Forty children and adolescents with OCD (range 7-17 years) were randomized to receive 14 sessions of weekly or intensive (daily psychotherapy sessions) family-based CBT. Assessments were conducted at three time points: pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PANDAS-related obsessive-compulsive disorder: findings from a preliminary waitlist controlled open trial.

Objective: To provide preliminary estimates of the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in treating pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) of the pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus (PANDAS) subtype.

Method: Seven children with OCD of the PANDAS subtype (range 9-13 years) were treated in a 3-week intensive CBT program conducted at a university clinic. Six of seven children were taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication(s) upon presentation.