Autism Spectrum Disorder in Young Women
Common Presentations:
Fixed and/or repetitive interests can include identifying with a particular topic or subject at school
Hypo-sensory profiles, like difficulty interpreting different temperatures, or textures (ex. Not noticing when the hot water has run out in the shower)
Hyper-sensory profiles, like sensitivity to sounds, sights, tastes, smells or textures (ex. Cannot go to the movie theater, strong dislike for patterned fabrics, etc.)
Preference for routine and structure as well as inflexibility regarding changes in routine resulting in emotional dysregulation, and difficulty calming down
Tendency to always tell the truth, and similarly express distress when others have “broken the rules”
Difficulty initiating social interactions and interpreting social cues (ex. Making eye contact, understanding other people’s perspectives, difficulty engaging in collaborative activities)
Executive Functioning: may demonstrate strengths in nonverbal tasks requiring patterns and logic, like math, science, art and computer technology
Emotional Regulation: individuals may find it difficult to identify and cope with emotions, making it harder to “move on” or calm down
Developmental Considerations: the transition to adulthood is difficult for nearly everybody. The amount of change in academic/vocational and social expectations is unlike that of any other time in life, and individuals with ASD may initially need more support to prepare for and then adapt to these changes. While difficult, this active preparation may ultimately lead to an even better prognosis then that of other people
Considerations:
Unlike many other mental health diagnoses, ASD is far less ambiguous, with a much clearer set of treatment recommendations that often result in significant quality of life improvement
Structure, routine and rule setting are significant strengths and can be incorporated into treatment in order to learn flexibility
Sensory regulation is of primary concern in order to help individuals with ASD “have the bandwidth” to learn social skills
Individuals with ASD often have more attunement and creativity when accessing body awareness and are therefore often better able to accurately identify emotions. Learning to express these emotions in a socially functional way is a primary therapy goal
Treatment:
Diagnosis: a full neuropsychological evaluation is necessary to make the diagnosis of ASD, and greatly informs treatment considerations, as each individual’s presentation of autism is unique
Referrals: common referrals include psychiatry, and an array of relevant strengths/movement/arts based extracurricular activities
Psychotherapy: Dr. Carroll-Wray established an evidence based treatment protocol as a part of formal clinical research, with the support of occupational therapists, educators and other mental health professionals. The first goal of treatment involves insight into the individual’s sensory profile, and a range of structural, yoga and mindfulness based interventions are incorporated in this phase of treatment. Following the initial treatment phase, Dr. Carroll-Wray introduces relationally based therapy, incorporating developmentally considerate tools (ex. Identifying and practicing social skills needed to develop intimate relationships and friendships) as well as coping skills for emotional regulation.
