The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of an intervention program on a phobic 15-year-old male with autism who had a specific phobia for persons who coughed or expressed cold symptoms. This study explored how relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing exercises and hand-held stress reduction coupled with a step-by-step hierarchical desensitization intervention can be used to reduce social anxiety and aberrant behaviors. Both an ABABAB reversal design and a changing criterions design were used to evaluate the effects of a systematic desensitization the overall outcomes indicated that relaxation techniques were effective in reducing this phobia. The benefits of employing behavioral procedures with children’s with autism are presented.