AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD)
ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH THE EFFECT AUTISM IS HAVING ON YOUR LIFE?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects the way individuals understand and react to the world around them, including their social interaction, communication, interests and behaviours. It is an umbrella term that includes Autism, Asperger’s and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). At Select Psychology, our team of mental health professionals can help you cope with the challenges of autism in a safe and confidential environment.
WHAT IS AUTISM?
Autism is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how you interact, communicate, learn and behave. For some it may be picked up in early childhood but for many people it can be more difficult to diagnose and they will seek out therapy for related mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression before getting a diagnosis.
There is no known cause of autism, although there can be a genetic link. There is also a higher prevalence of other developmental disorders such as ADHD and dyslexia for people with autism.
Everyone with autism will have their own particular challenges and strengths and seeking therapy to understanding what these are can go a long way to helping you to manage these challenges.
WHEN TO SEEK THERAPY FOR AUTISM
Therapy should begin as soon as possible after diagnosis. While struggling with autism, you may experience:
Finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling which can lead to anxiety in social situations and difficulty with making friends or pursuing certain careers
Taking things literally
Struggling to deal with a change in routines
Adhering to restrictive and repetitive behaviours and routines
Making minimal or inconsistent eye contact
Facial expressions, movements and gestures that do not match the situation
Be more sensitive than others to sensory changes
THE BEST THERAPIES FOR TREATING AUTISM
Family Therapy
Child Psychology
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
BENEFITS OF THERAPY FOR AUTISM
Therapy can help to identify strengths and difficulties and look at strategies that will support with day to day living and maximise potential
People with autism are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. Therapy can help treat these issues and improve overall self confidence and well-being
It can help a person to find ways of regulating emotions and reduce distress
It can help parents/family members understand the condition and promote healthy relationships
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP WITH AUTISM
If you are worried that you or someone you know may be are struggling with the difficulties that can come with autism it is best to seek therapy as soon as you are able to, but in the meantime there are some things that can help while you are waiting for your first appointment:
Feel your feelings. It might seem easier to try and avoid your feelings of anxiety, but you will find that this can often cause a lot of stress and even manifest physically. Acknowledging how you feel will help you recognise and process these feelings.
Share with family and friends. There are multiple ways to express how you feel. Talking about your feelings is one of them and talking to family and friends about areas you are struggling with will help ease some of the pressure you feel and also help them understand you more.
Maintaining a routine can provide you with a sense of stability and comfort. Include activities that you enjoy and boost your mood. It’s ok to say no to plans. Sometimes it helps to have your own safe space for when you’re feeling exhausted, upset or angry and just need some time to yourself to recharge
Everyone has strengths and everyone has challenges. The world is full of beautiful things and people with autism notice many of the beautiful things that other people don’t. If you struggle with something, it doesn’t mean you will struggle forever. You can learn to manage and overcome certain struggles and is important that you use your own methods – different things works for different people.
HOW CAN OUR PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES HELP WITH AUTISM?
We offer a wide range of therapies to help with autism and give you the tools to cope and understand your emotions. We are a private mental health service with highly trained therapists and no waiting lists.
This is how therapy would work:
Step 1
Get in touch
The first step is recognising you have an issue and seeking help – BOOK A FREE TELEPHONE CONSULTATION and start the process by providing a space and time to share your needs with us.
Step 2
Telephone Consultation
You will be heard and understood through a confidential phone conversation. Often called the ‘triage’ this is where you can share more about your needs, and we can advise on therapy pathways and provide initial guidance where possible.
Step 3
Appointment Offer
We will match your needs with the best fit practitioner for your therapy pathway and offer you an appointment within two weeks.
Step 4
Initial Assessment
Before you begin a course of therapy, your therapist will need to conduct an assessment in order to agree a course of therapy with you that will best help you and address your goals. This is still part of the therapeutic process and will provide you with a better understanding of your difficulties and how you may start to approach them.
Step 5
Your Therapy
Following on from your assessment, you will move onto therapy. Appointments are 50 minutes – these can be anything from weekly to monthly, depending on your individual circumstances. The number of sessions required to feel better will depend on your needs and therapy plan, this can range between 8-16 sessions, but in general more time is needed to address more complex issues.
Step 6
Feeling Better
As you start to improve, you can agree on changes to the frequency of sessions as required. Ultimately, there will be a time when both you and your therapist agree that you no longer need to continue in active therapy
HELPFUL THINGS TO KNOW
How do people with autism think?
Having autism can lead to unhelpful thinking styles which causes more stress and anxiety. These include:
- Black and white thinking
- Catastrophising
- Jumping to conclusions
If you feel these are some things you do it is helpful to slow down your thinking and ask yourself:
- Is there another way to look at this?
- Have you got all the information?
- Are you perhaps looking at things from a negative perspective?
Does autism present differently in men and women?
Autism can look different in men and women. Women often appear to cope better in social situations however this is often due to their ability to mask more successfully. Masking is when a person hides certain behaviours that would be considered less acceptable and performs more agreeable behaviours they have been able to mimic from someone who is not autistic. Due to this autism is less likely to be picked up in women however due to societal pressures masking is something that can be seen in both autistic men and women. Masking takes up a lot of your energy and can lead to ‘burn out’ due to the strain it puts on you after a prolonged period of time.
Can people with autism live independently?
Autism covers a very wide range of difficulties and being autistic does not, in itself, preclude you from anything: many people with Autism get married, have full-time jobs and lead a happy and fulfilling life. There are, however, some people who who struggle with day-today independent and will require higher levels of support.