People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have always been with us. For example, there's strong evidence that Isaac Newton, arguably history's most brilliant scientific mind, had ASD. Another example is Antoni Gaudi - Spain's incredible arquitectural innovator and designer of the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona. But besides prominent examples like these everyday people with ASD from all walks of life have been misunderstood and have been misunderstanding others since forever! And, although we understand them better today than others did in the past they still face particular challenges, especially in the social arena.

Autism occurs on a spectrum which means that there are severe, moderate, and light cases. I do not have the experience and expertise necessary to work with people who have severe autism. However, I have helped many teenagers with more moderate and lighter autism understand themselves more fully. When autistic teenagers gain a non-judgmental understanding of why they are the way they are they learn to more effectively manage their friendships, defend against mistreatment, and advocate for themselves when necessary. This helps them to create a social life where they can be their authentic selves and enjoy the benefits in a natural way. This approach is far superior to what many autistic people end up trying to do, which is do their best to pretend to be like everyone else to fit in. 

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We have advanced in our understanding of autism to the extent that the knowledge is soaking through into the popular culture and there is a wider acceptance of people with a diversity of neurological norms. This means that autistic people aren't dismissed as eccentric, as was more common in the past, but recognized for their contribution to the diversity of perspectives that make up human strength. Although autistic people have a sort of hypersensitivity and tendency to become overwhelmed in some areas they also have trouble noticing what is obvious to most of us. This combination makes them valuable for the uncommon point of view they can share that would otherwise be lost on us "normies". When Autistic teenagers recognize their value, learn to work around their weak points, and engage authentically with others they come into their own and dump the judgmental self critical baggage that's been holding them back for too long.  

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Please read the bullet points below to help you decide if your teenager may benefit from psychotherapy for challenges relating to autism. 

Does your Teenager:

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• Does your teen seem "socially exhausted"? Do they need hours of isolation to recover after a normal day of school or a simple social outing?

• Do they struggle with "social nuances"? Do they often miss sarcasm, take jokes literally, or fail to "read the room" unless things are spelled out explicitly?

• Is their conversation a "one-way street"? Do they talk at length about their specific interests but struggle to ask follow-up questions or engage in "small talk"?

• Do they have "social performance" fatigue? Does it feel like they are "acting" or "masking" when they are around others, only to have a meltdown or shutdown the moment they get home?

• Are they "rigid" about certain habits? Do minor changes in plans (like a different dinner time or a detour on the way home) cause a level of distress that seems "over the top" for their age?

• Do they have "special interests" that border on obsessions? Is there a specific topic (gaming, history, coding, art) that they focus on to the exclusion of almost everything else?

• Do they struggle with "executive function"? Can they solve complex math problems but lose their keys, forget to shower, or fail to start a simple homework assignment without a prompt?

• Are they hyper-sensitive to their environment? Do they complain about "scratchy" clothing tags, bright fluorescent lights, or the sound of someone else chewing?

• Do they have "stims" or repetitive movements? When stressed or excited, do they pace, rock, fidget with their hands, or make repetitive vocal sounds?

• Is their eye contact unconventional? Do they tend to look at the floor, your mouth, or off to the side while speaking, rather than maintaining "typical" eye contact?

• Do they have "autistic meltdowns" or "shutdowns"? When overwhelmed, do they either explode with frustration or completely "go internal" and stop speaking for a period of time?

• Do they have trouble identifying their own feelings? If you ask "How do you feel?", do they struggle to find the words (Alexithymia) or describe physical sensations instead of emotions?