Live Webinar: Co-Occurring Anxiety Disorders in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Considerations for Assessment and Treatment

Description of Webinar
While prevalence rates vary, approximately 40% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a co-occurring anxiety disorder. This course will provide a comprehensive overview of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with ASD, including common anxiety symptoms/disorders observed in youth with ASD, risk factors for anxiety, best practices to assess for co-occurring anxiety disorders, and evidence-based interventions. Importantly, this course will review considerations participants may utilize when assessing for and treating co-occurring anxiety in youth with ASD, as modifications to assessment practices and treatment modalities are often needed to effectively treat anxiety disorders in individuals with ASD.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, the learner will be able to:

Identify the risk factors and predictors of anxiety disorders in individuals with ASD;
Explain screening and diagnostic tools to assess for anxiety disorders in youth with ASD; and
Describe the evidence-based interventions and discuss treatment modifications to treat co-occurring anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with ASD.

Presenter Bio
Esther Hong, PhD is a neurodevelopmental pediatric psychologist at the Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center (TANC) at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). She conducts comprehensive neurodevelopmental evaluations for children who are suspected of having autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Additionally, she provides treatment for children and teens with co-occurring NDDs and mental health disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders. Dr. Hong’s clinical and research interests include early detection and diagnosis of NDDs, diagnosis and treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions and ASD, and cultural differences in caregivers’ perceptions of typical/atypical development. She has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on topics related to ASD. Dr. Hong received her doctorate in clinical psychology at Louisiana State University. She completed a predoctoral internship in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities track at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Autism Spectrum Disorders track at TANC at CHOC.