The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

The need for mental health services for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has grown over the past decade. A barrier to their success is often a co-occuring mental health condition. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been a documented therapeutic approach for children and adults suffering from a variety of mental health conditions including anxiety, obsessive compulsive behaviors and depression (Walkup, et. al., 2008).   Recently, the therapeutic practice of CBT with individuals diagnosed with having an Autism Spectrum Disorder has been getting more attention in the research arena with moderate effects (Wood, et al., 2009; Sofronoff et al., 2005). To date research on the use of CBT with clients having a Spectrum disorder mentions using a “flexible style” of CBT.  Professional counselors, both in the private sector and in schools, have been providing mental health services for individuals on the Autism Spectrum in a greater capacity with the rise in prevalence over the past eight years.  Common therapeutic goals have been to increase one’s social skills, communication, daily living skills and coping skills that address co morbid features associated with anxiety (Drahota, et. al., 2011).   Through clinical practice, we have come to understand that restructuring one’s thought process or behavioral responses should come in conjunction with a methodology that addresses more of the “roots” of Autism or other social learning challenges.

The theoretical foundation of core deficits that impact one’s social competence needs to be better understood and explored by today’s professional counselor. There is an abundant of research in the areas of psychology and neuro-developmental psychology that indicate one of these core deficits for individuals on the Autism Spectrum is executive functioning (Grattan & Eslinger, 1992).  The neurological underpinning of what “executive functions” are does impact the CBT model when addressing things such as automatic thoughts, cognitive consequences, action tendencies and behaviors.  This session will examine best practices when counseling individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Participants will explore various counseling techniques when working with individuals on the Autism Spectrum, will explore underlying core deficits in ASD's that may impact the counseling session and will explore ways to help families carry over those concepts discussed within the counseling session. Case studies and treatment outcome data will be reported on.