Many persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have clinically significant anxiety, with 17.4% presenting with symptoms characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; Van Steensel, Bögels, & Perrin, 2011). OCD is characterized by intrusive thoughts, urges or images (obsessions), and engagement in repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) assumed to reduce anxiety or distress (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). A diagnostic requirement of ASD is restricted and/or repetitive behavior (RRB) that includes stereotyped movements, self-injury, need for sameness, compulsions, ritualized verbal and nonverbal behavior, and circumscribed or perseverative interests (APA, 2013). Increasingly, researchers differentiate RRBs as "higher level"-for example, washing, rigid routines, ordering, and arranging-that resemble OCD symptoms, and "lower level"-for example, restricted stereotypy and selfinjury (

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Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often present with comorbid Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors (OCBs), but little research exists on effective intervention for OCBs. Using a single-case experimental design, this study highlights the efficacy of a Group Functional Behavior-Based Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (Fb-CBT) to reduce OCBs in an 11year-old youth. Tailored for individuals with ASD, Fb-CBT included traditional CBT components (e.g., psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral skills training, and exposure and response prevention), functional behavior assessment and intervention, and a group parenttraining component. Time-series parent report data and standardized OCB measures showed clinically significant decreases in OCBs, increase in psychosocial functioning, and high consumer satisfaction.

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in cognitive and adaptive functioning in social, practical, or conceptual domains. Individuals with ID present with higher-order repetitive behaviors such as a need for sameness, ritualistic, and compulsive behaviors.Often referred to as obsessive compulsive behaviors (OCBs), these behaviors increase in prevalence between 2 and 5 years of age. The present study evaluated an exposure-based behavioral intervention for decreasing OCBs and concomitantly increasing play skills in a 4-year-old boy with mild ID in an inclusive preschool setting. Using a multiple baseline across behaviors design, the intervention was associated with a decrease in target behaviors and an increase in the duration of peer social engagement, with results maintained at 3-week follow-up.The intervention consisted of exposure and response prevention with function-based components. Procedures including prompting and reinforcement were generalized to parent and teacher mediators. This study provides preliminary support for the use of an exposure-based behavioral intervention to treat OCBs in children of preschool age with ID. KEYWORDS exposure and response prevention, functional behavioral assessment, intellectual disability, obsessive compulsive behavior, school-based interventionThe researchers would like to thank the participating preschool, teachers, and family for their contribution to the project. This research was supported by a graduate fellowship and Match of Minds scholarship from Brock University.