Autism disorder (ASD) affects social, communication and behavioral patterns and appears in childhood. Although many interventions for autism have been developed, effective approaches to improving social adaptation and quality of life remain challenging. The integration of Chinese cultural elements, especially clothing design, may provide new ideas for the rehabilitation of autistic youth.

The study included 30 autistic young people aged 18-25, who were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group with 15 people each. The experimental group received 12 weeks of Chinese element costume design adjuvant therapy, including traditional costume making and cultural learning. The control group received social skills training. Stress response and cognitive status were evaluated with SASRQ and 3D-CAM. SPSS23.0 statistical analysis and independent sample T-test were used to compare the differences between the two groups.

After treatment, the scores of the Stanford acute stress response questionnaire in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05), indicating that their stress response had been alleviated to some extent. On the 3-minute disorder assessment scale, the cognitive status score of the experimental group was also significantly better than that of the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that the cognitive function had improved.

Chinese element clothing design assisted therapy actively reduces stress response and enhances cognitive state. Traditional costume design and cultural learning improve emotional management and cognition. Innovative psychological intervention supports the comprehensive treatment of autism, and cultural integration therapy is supported by empirical evidence.