Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy / Volume 34 / Issue 03 / July 2006, pp 293-303
- Copyright © 2006 British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1352465805002651 (About DOI), Published online: 23 December 2005
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for People with Asperger Syndrome
AbstractPeople with Asperger syndrome (AS) appear to have higher than expected rates of co-morbid psychiatric disorder. The main co-morbid diagnoses are anxiety disorders and depression, but eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance abuse and bipolar affective disorder have all been reported. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is used effectively to treat these conditions, so could it be used in people who also have Asperger syndrome? This paper reviews important components and characteristics of cognitive behaviour therapy in relation to its use with people who have Asperger syndrome with reference to the relevant literature and to feedback from people with AS. The use of CBT in people with Asperger syndrome appears promising, but further work is needed to evaluate its effectiveness and to examine which particular aspects of therapy are helpful. (Published Online December 23 2005)Key Words: Asperger syndrome; cognitive behaviour therapy. Correspondence: c1 Reprint requests to Stephen Anderson, Specialist Registrar in the Psychiatry of Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabilities Service, Lothian Primary Care, 65 Morningside Drive, Edinburgh EH10 5NQ, UK. E-mail: stephen.anderson@lpct.scot.nhs.uk |
