Intolerance of uncertainty in children with ASD: a feasibility trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Addressing intolerance of uncertainty in children with autism spectrum disorder: An intervention feasibility trial.
IRAS ID
239515
Contact name
Jacqui Rodgers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 31 days
Research summary
Anxiety causes difficulties for around 50% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); childhood anxiety is a major risk factor for anxiety in adulthood. Our research shows that anxiety can be caused by uncertainty, leading to Intolerance of uncertainty (IU). People who experience IU believe that uncertainty is stressful and upsetting and should be avoided. IU has an important role in the development and maintenance of anxiety and is a barrier to effective anxiety treatment. Despite this, there are no existing therapies that target IU for children with ASD. During our therapy development study, clinicians and parents worked together to develop a parent-based intervention to assist children with ASD to manage uncertain situations more effectively. The intervention was delivered to parents of young people with ASD in a small group setting. During eight two-hour sessions we gave parents strategies to assist their child with uncertainty in everyday situations. Parents learned to identify when their child was showing anxiety related to uncertainty and to practice strategies to enable them to tolerate uncertainty. We now wish to recruit sixty parents of children with ASD and anxiety from NHS services. These families will be allocated by chance to either receive our intervention or attend a parent group. The uncertainty intervention group will be run by trained NHS therapists. We will meet with families individually at the start to gather information about their child's IU and anxiety. Parents receiving the intervention will attend the eight-week programme alongside other parents. We will ask parents from the intervention groups to identify a target situation that involves uncertainty through which they will practise the strategies learned with their child. We will meet with the families individually at the end of the programme and a few months later to find out how acceptable and helpful the intervention was.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NE/0106
Date of REC Opinion
17 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion