Autism Awareness Month

By: Samantha Brawley, LPC

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, but I am also the mother of two children with Autism, so I appreciate this month to raise awareness for those who are “neurodivergent” (a term relating to or showing atypical neurological behavior and development).  

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a hereditary, developmental disorder with symptoms that generally appear within the first 3 years of life. There are a variety of symptoms as well as severities which is why Autism is a “spectrum.” There is a saying…, “If you have met one child with Autism, then you have met one child with Autism.” This means that no one individual with Autism has the exact same symptomology or manifestation of symptoms.  

I occasionally have clients who are neurodivergent. What families are not often aware of is the differences between therapies available for individuals with Autism.  

Most often, Autism is treated through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy which focuses on increasing language and communication skills, improving focus, attention, social skills, memory, academics, and modifying unwanted behaviors by studying the child’s behavior and determining what their end-goal is for exhibiting the behavior. Then, the child is taught a more expected way of asking for what they need or want. This therapy must be provided by a professional who is certified to provide ABA Therapy.  

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been known to help individuals who have higher cognitive abilities and adequate communication skills and can help with emotional regulation and impulse control. This therapy can be provided by most any licensed mental healthcare professional and is often what I use with my clients. One aspect of this therapy though is that the client must be willing to practice the skills to improve these areas.  

Change for neurodivergent individuals is often a slower process due to cognitive ability and common frustration with change in general (mental flexibility). Thus, therapy may continue for extended periods of time beyond what a typical individual may need.

Parenting training is also helpful for staying consistent with changes being taught in therapy for greater generalization into daily functioning. It is not easy being the parent of a child(ren) with disabilities. Having good social support is beneficial for endurance with the challenges of raising a child with disabilities and staying mentally healthy as a parent.