LMFT
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a large spectrum that needs to have tailored treatment for each individual. Family therapy is important with ASD so that the whole family is working to best support each other.
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Fails to respond to their name or listen at times
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Resists cuddling and holding, prefers alone time, "spaces out."
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Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expression
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Is non-verbal or has delayed speech, or loses previous ability to say words or sentences
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Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm
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Repeats words or phrases verbatim but lacks understanding of their meaning and application
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struggles to express their feelings and struggles to understand empathy appropriately
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Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues
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Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning, or hand flapping
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Performs activities that could cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging
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Develops specific routines that cannot be broken, or they will be upset.
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Is fascinated by details of an object but not the object as a whole
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Is unusually sensitive to light, sound, or touch, yet may be indifferent to pain or temperature.
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Doesn't engage in make-believe play
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Fixates on an object or activity with abnormal intensity or focus
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Has specific food preferences, such as eating only a few foods or refusing foods with a certain texture
CBT Therapy and Play Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or C.B.T., is a form of therapy that uses cognitive restructuring to identify and challenge negative and irrational thoughts; these thoughts are called cognitive distortions. An irregular amount of cognitive distortions can be linked to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. The CBT approach leverages the strong link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to treat depression and anxiety.
Play therapy is used to treat children who are unable to express or identify their feelings or thoughts. Play therapy is helpful to get children to reflect and learn from their mistakes. Through play therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills, and develop a toolset of ways to relate to others.
Individual Psychotherapy
Individual therapy can aid children and teens by receiving emotional support, learning to resolve conflicts, gaining an understanding of their feelings, and problems and trying out new solutions to problems. Goals for therapy can include, change in behavior, improved relations with friends or family, or a decrease in anxiety and improved self-esteem. Psychotherapy relies on communication to bring about change in a child's feelings and behaviors. Communication can come in many forms. Talking, playing, drawing, and coloring are just a few ways that a child can express and share feelings.
Family Therapy
“I want to love you without clutching, appreciate you without judging, join you without invading, invite you without demanding, leave you without guilt, criticize you without blaming, and help you without insulting. If I can have the same from you, then we can truly meet and enrich each other.” ~ Virginia Satir
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A child or teen's emotional or behavioral problems can be influenced or stem from family experiences. Family therapy can help a family improve communication and resolve conflicts. Behavior contracts and parent training are just some of the techniques that can help families ly address the child's individual needs but improve dynamics within the family.