Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement Program

The current study is to test a new intervention called Emotional Awareness and Skills Enhancement (EASE). This program was designed to address ASD-specific obstacles to effective emotion regulation, such as reduced awareness concerning others' intentions, a limited repertoire of behavioral responses, and inadequate language for understanding emotional experiences. This new program is based on an acceptance-based approach in which awareness of emotion is developed, emotions (whether negative or positive) are accepted, and behavior is regulated in the face of intense emotion. The goal is not to learn to avoid negative emotions, but rather to develop a collection of abilities which allow the individual to manage stress and act in ways that are more adaptive. The investigators expect to find that participants' emotion dysregulation will decrease and their adaptive function will increase following completion of the EASE program.

Inclusion criteria

• ages 12-21 years, inclusive
• A diagnosis of ASD (autism spectrum disorder), as defined by exceeding the ASD cutoff on the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale) or ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) In. If the participant has completed the ADOS in a previous study within 3 years and signs a release of information to obtain it, they will not be required to complete another ADOS.
• Average verbal intellectual ability (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-2 [WASI-2] FSIQ >=75).
• Fluent in the English language
• Problems with regulating emotions based on parent report 6) Parent/guardian who will attend sessions and assessments.

Exclusion criteria

• Current concerns of suicidality that warrants immediate clinical care (such potential participants will be referred elsewhere for treatment), determined by clinical interview.
• Previous or current diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.
• Receiving concurrent psychotherapy treatment for emotional issues (i.e., depression, anxiety, anger) that overlaps with the current study. This will be assessed using current treatment items on the demographic forms.