This study examined the efficacy of the Child-Directed Interaction Training (CDIT) phase of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Thirty mother-child dyads with children ages 3-7 years with a diagnosis of ASD participated in this randomized controlled study. Following manualized CDIT, statistically significant and meaningful improvements in child disruptive behavior and social awareness as well as maternal distress associated with child disruptive behavior occurred. Across 8 sessions, mothers learned to provide positive attention to their children's appropriate social and play behaviors. Both child and parent changes were maintained at 6-week follow-up. A relatively brief, time-limited, and accessible intervention may be efficacious for improving child and parent behaviors in families of young children with ASD. By decreasing child disruptive behaviors, CDIT may also help to prepare children to benefit further from future interventions.

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Adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have similar sexual desires and relationship needs to their neuro-typical peers. However, they may be more likely to demonstrate problematic sexual behaviors as they mature, due to lack of education about sexuality, vulnerability to sexual abuse, deficits in social communication and understanding, restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors, and sensory interests. Treatment for sexual acting out behaviors in adolescents with ASD has not been explored and current recommendations focus on prevention through sexual education, which provides little guidance to clinicians working with adolescents who are already displaying sexual acting out behaviors. Adapting treatments for problematic sexual behaviors in neuro-typical children and adolescents may be the first step, although adaptation is complicated by developmental abilities that may not match an adolescent’s chronological age. A thorough developmental and sexual assessment is the first step to designing an appropriate treatment plan. Further research should focus on adapting and applying current treatments for sexual acting out by the ASD population.