The aims of this study were two-fold; firstly, to investigate whether self-report measures are useful and reflect parent-reported psychiatric symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and secondly, to investigate whether children with ASD are able to access and report their cognitions, a prerequisite skill for cognitive behavior therapies. Thirty children with ASD and 21 comparison children without ASD completed the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale and the Children's Depression Inventory, with parents completing the parent version of both questionnaires. Intraclass correlations revealed that there was good agreement between ASD children and their parents on both measures, but only on the depression measure in non-ASD children. The children in both groups also completed the Children's Automatic Thoughts Questionnaires; multiple regression analyses indicated that within the ASD group, child-rated scores on the CATS questionnaire were positively related to increased self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, but not in the comparison group, suggesting that children with ASD are able to accurately report their anxious and depressed cognitions. The implications of these results for both the practice and theory of CBT for children with ASD are discussed.

Sleep difficulties are common in children and young people with Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders (TS/CTD). However, it is unclear whether sleep problems can be considered typical of the TS/CTD phenotype or whether they reflect concomitant factors such as individual patient characteristics (e.g. medication use), underlying neurodevelopmental disorders and/or co-occurring psychiatric symptoms. To help address this question, this review systematically explored types and frequency of sleep problems in children and young people with TS/CTD, while also examining the heterogeneity and methodological quality of studies. Psycinfo, Ovid Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched using a range of terms relating to tics, sleep and co-occurring psychopathology. Studies were considered that included a sample of children with TS/CTD (n > 5) for whom sleep difficulties were measured. Eighteen studies met criteria for inclusion in the review. Findings supported the high prevalence of sleep difficulties in children with TS/CTD, though estimates of sleep difficulties ranged from 9.7% to 80.4%. Twelve studies reported on other factors affecting sleep in this patient group including tic severity, comorbid psychopathological or neurodevelopmental disorders and medication use. Studies varied in terms of methodology, sample characteristics and research quality, but most concluded that children with TS/CTD experienced high levels of sleep difficulties with children with co-occurring anxiety most at risk. The current review highlights the need for further empirical investigation of sleep in children with TS/CTS, with a view to informing understanding and clinical management.

Background Mental health problems are increasingly being recognised as a significant health need for people with autism spectrum disorder, but few specialist services are available. This study explored parents’ experiences of a specialist autism spectrum psychological intervention service located within a broader Neurodevelopmental and Social Communication Disorders Team. Method Forty‐nine parents completed a telephone based survey designed to assess experiences of a specialist intervention service. Results High levels of satisfaction were reported. Parents reported aspects of the service that they found most useful. Conclusion Most parents reported satisfaction with the service and suggested improvements were used to guide service development.