The Mental and Social Health Center specializes in providing services for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (ASD is a new name for the previously separate diagnoses of autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and PDD-NOS). We approach working with people on the autism spectrum based on firsthand life experience, a broad background in what is happening in the field, and current best practices.  We believe that a serious, in-depth understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders is important in providing high quality and relevant services.

We take a holistic approach to working with adults on the autism spectrum, working with vocational goals, life skills, social skills, and social resources, as well as addressing individual psychological needs. Our approach focuses on improving and developing strengths, in addition to overcoming limitations.  Because people on the autism spectrum have a huge range of needs and levels of functioning, we work with individuals or families using a variety of approaches, including individual therapy, social skills coaching, family based positive behavior supports, advocacy, and self-advocacy coaching.  In addition to providing direct services, we work with clients to effectively access community resources, such as colleges, vocational rehabilitation, Medicaid waiver supports, and in getting jobs and maintaining employment.

Mental health counseling for adults with ASD

The features of ASD, and the way people relate to people who have it, lead to a complex set of life challenges for most people with this condition.  Many adults with ASD have experienced a long series of life challenges, stressful situations, and in some cases, traumatic circumstances.  Difficulties with education, employment, social situations, and having fulfilling (or sometimes any) romantic relationships are common.  Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and emotion regulation issues often happen as a consequence of living with ASD, and can co-occur for other reasons as well.

We provide counseling using a range of approaches, depending on the needs of a person or family.  For intellectually and verbally functional adults who are interested in therapy, we provide direct counseling, working on the whole combination of issues that need addressing.  For less verbally and intellectually functioning clients, or clients not interested in direct therapy, we can work with families and other systems of support, as well as providing direct therapy when appropriate.

With ASD, we work mainly from a behavioral-cognitive perspective, meaning we look at ways of improving practical aspects of life, work, and relationships, and at developing effective ways of thinking that support these areas of life.

While we acknowledge the challenges that come from functional limitations associated with ASD, we also focus on the fact that the same neurodevelopmental differences can be a source of important strengths, that, when properly developed (and basic limitations are overcome), can be valuable and a key elements of a sense of meaning in life.  Our approach is oriented toward supporting balanced, healthy growth combining overcoming obstacles with developing strengths.  As an example, this means that if you come to us with excellent computer skills, but limited social skills, we might focus on development in both areas to support the goal of having a meaningful career.

Social Skills Coaching

We offer social skills coaching to people with ASD or other neurodevelopmental disorders.  ASD affects social skills in complex ways, and these social skills issues are often a primary factor in the difficulties in college, employment, and personal relationships dealt with by many people on the autism spectrum.  Careful work on social skills can address many of these issues.  We work with teaching different ways of interacting with other people, developing self-observation skills, and dealing with the emotional complexity of relating to other people.  We provide simple, honest feedback on what ways of interacting look like from the perspective of another person, and address the experiences that come up in the process of learning to do things differently.

Self-Advocacy Coaching and Advocacy for Adults with ASD

Adults with ASD often experience difficult situations, where aspects of disability clash with the priorities, rules, and belief systems of people and organizations that they are in contact with.  For adults, this commonly occurs in education and employment settings and within the health care system and government agencies.  Because of the complex set of needs and differences that arise out of having ASD and how others relate to these, self-advocacy skills, and access to others that will advocate on their behalf, has an everyday importance that goes well beyond that of most people without neurodevelopmental differences.

We translate direct experience working with ASD and other disability advocacy in our own lives into supporting clients and their families in advocating for themselves, and at times to becoming directly involved in communicating with individuals and organizations.  Our experience is that the combination of advocacy skills and of in-depth understanding of disabilities and their consequences leads to effectiveness in approaching difficult situations.  We see advocacy as both a life skill and a social skill, and we work with clients to become effective at addressing the range of situations to which they are exposed.  Being able to address individual needs in the context of organizations can mean the difference between completing college and dropping out; and between having a job and being fired or not getting it in the first place.

Groups

When we have enough interested participants, we plan on creating support, activity, and social skills groups for people of differing ages, walks of life, and interests.  Possible focuses of groups include social skills building, dating and relationships, and groups for doing activities around shared interests.