The effectiveness of an attention-based intervention for school-aged autistic children with anger regulating problems: A randomized controlled trial.
Pamela Clifford, Carolien Gevers, Kim M Jonkman and 2 others
PMID 36053934WHAT IT FOUND
An attention-based anger intervention reduced temper tantrums and arguing in autistic children, as seen by parents.
It did not reduce physical violence or destruction, nor improve teacher-rated aggression, child-reported coping, or secondary outcomes like parental stress and quality of life.
Key findings
01The intervention did not have a significant effect on the overall parent-reported Aggressive Behavior Problems scale.
02Parents reported significant reductions in temper tantrums and arguing, but not in destroying things or physical violence.
03Parents reported an increase in adaptive anger coping strategies, specifically diffusion and social support-seeking, but children did not report these improvements.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample size was relatively small. There was no follow-up assessment after the treatment ended. The study used a custom questionnaire (QSB) for aggressive behavior problems, which had questionable reliability for teacher reports. The sample was demographically homogeneous, limiting generalizability to ethnic minorities or lower socioeconomic groups. Teachers were reluctant to allow the self-initiated time-out strategy in the classroom, which may have affected teacher-reported outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by non-U.S. government funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this intervention reduces physical violence or aggression in school settings. The study found no significant effect on physical violence or teacher-reported aggression, and the primary outcome of overall aggressive behavior was null.