Horses for courses. Hannah Bridge MBACP, MBAPT, PGDipTM

Transcription

1 Horses for courses Hannah Bridge MBACP, MBAPT, PGDipTM

2 Disclaimer These slides represent my opinion formed from personal experience of a life with autistic relatives and spouse, and working as a therapist with autistic and NT clients. Although informed by Continuing Professional Development and Research, these slides do not represent evidenced facts. Up-to-date statistics, data and evidence for some of this topic can be found on websites such as that of the National Autistic Society.

3 My life with autism Growing up with an undiagnosed autistic father (probably) Being married to an undiagnosed autist Parenting with an undiagnosed autist Being a mother of a child with probable autism Being a therapist of child and adult clients with undiagnosed autism (probably) Being a therapist of diagnosed autistic children and adults

4 A little bit about autists Social imagination Theory of mind Social communication Sensory sensitivity Focus on detail and one thing at a time Makers of rules faking it

5 A little bit about therapists Probably neuro-typical Possibly not very informed about autism Many not aware that autism may be part of their life, that they may be living with autism An important key to helping autists and neurotypical people learning to thrive together Need to bring concepts to life Need to blast misconceptions to outer space

6 Consequences Suffering because of difference Suffering because they are in a minority Scapegoated and left holding the label of disorder Many still connecting it with disability Impacts on Offspring and Spouses (NAIDs & AutAutIDs; Cassandra)

7 Confusing language AQ50 has autism or got autism moderate, high functioning, severe High on spectrum (never hear low on spectrum) Reality: Across all categories of people Reality: Paucity of support Reality: like LH minority/rh majority

8 A bit about autistic suffering The world of people and human relations probably scary Their own emotions, including being scared, likely to be extremely difficult to connect with, navigate and use effectively Other people s emotions likely to be just one step too far. Imagining feelings in the future likely to be 100 steps too far. Just as much need for human intimacy as anyone else

9 Learning points Autism vs. Autism Spectrum Disorder can be seen like Trauma vs. Trauma Disorders (e.g. PTSD) and lots of children and adults are suffering from: Autism Spectrum Disorder and from Neurotypical-Autism Interface Disorder And Autism-Autism Interface Disorder!

10 A little about NAID people Layering within each difficult life experience Not being believed Feelings of Not existing Lives may be constantly muddled by autists Loneliness Communication: a Bumpy road vs Peak of excitement (Brazelton s curve of reciprocal communication)

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12 The role of therapists Counselling/therapy courses: designed by NTs, delivered by NTs, to largely NT audiences. How then, Suitable for Autists? Improve the interface; NT is not normal or right Listen out for key phrases to spot autists and those with NAID or AutAutaid ; Help NAID s /AutAutAids to assert their need differently when in relationship with an autist Use Brazelton s curve to contain communications Help autist s to understand the neuro-typical way of thinking Autism is not to be fixed, symptoms are.

13 Working with autists Know that being in relationship with you may be more scary and confusing than for an NT Get to know about SEB and focus on TIHIA Be ready to be practical and directive Review what it means to be person-centred ; Defences, Countertransference, conditions of worth, locus of evaluation, psychodynamics are all very different with autists Use the body, bring them into their body through actual embodiment not thought Raise social & transitional anxiety to consciousness and reduce Raise sensitivities to consciousness and celebrate Work with any trauma Reflect back feelings perceived, but avoid pursuit of the feeling realm Attune with Flat Affect in mind Lots of space for processing any thing with emotional content Look for themes in their interests to understand what they are communicating

14 Working with NAIDs, AutAutAids Believe (properly, not tokenism) Increase skills of self-responsibility Understand co-dependency vs. celebration and valuing difference within relationship Know the limits of psychodynamics

15 The joy of autism If you know one autist, you know one autist My experience: If they trust you, they won t fake it If they trust a fact or a rule, they are loyal to it They like knowing social rules, social rules don t work like maths rules. They can focus on one thing really well They are reliable in all ways except, in my experience, being able to organise themselves once in relation with others

16 Choice or Obligation?