A Pilot Randomised Control Trial Exploring the Feasibility and Acceptability of Delivering a Personalised Modular Psychological Intervention for Anxiety Experienced by Autistic Adults: Personalised Anxiety Treatment-Autism (PAT-A).
Jacqui Rodgers, Samuel Brice, Patrick Welsh and 8 others
PMID 37728782WHAT IT FOUND
A personalised anxiety treatment for autistic adults was feasible and acceptable, but the pilot was too small and disrupted by the pandemic to prove it works.
Participants reported feeling understood and gaining coping skills, yet efficacy remains untested.
Key findings
01The intervention was feasible to deliver and acceptable to participants, with high retention rates comparable to other pilot trials.
02Participants reported that the therapy was adapted to their needs and helped them manage anxiety in daily life, though this is qualitative feedback rather than measured efficacy.
03Statistical comparisons of outcomes were not possible due to low power and COVID-19 disruptions, so no conclusion can be drawn about whether the treatment reduced anxiety more than usual care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was a pilot with only 34 participants, meaning it was not powered to detect differences in anxiety outcomes between the groups. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a switch to remote assessments and prevented the use of planned virtual reality modules, which likely affected the consistency and completeness of the data. Outcome data were analysed descriptively rather than statistically, so any apparent improvements cannot be confidently attributed to the intervention. There were baseline differences between groups, including age and age at diagnosis, which may influence how anxiety is experienced and treated.
Declared interests
Funded by Autistica. No specific conflicts of interest declared by the authors in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reported reductions in anxiety scores as proof that PAT-A is effective. The study was a feasibility pilot with low statistical power, and both groups showed similar descriptive improvements, so it is not possible to separate the effect of the personalised therapy from the natural fluctuation of symptoms or the effect of receiving any attention.