Effective Treatment for Autistic Adults

There is a gap in support for autistic people when the services they have relied on start to disappear when they reach adulthood. Even though the therapeutic needs of autistic adults who are experiencing anxiety and depression are not significantly different from anyone else, practitioners are likely to refer autistic patients to specialists instead of adapting their practices to fit their patients’ needs. This article discusses psychological and societal challenges for autistic people upon reaching adulthood, identifies basics of working with autistic patients, and describes skills for establishing trust with autistic patients. Copyright 2024.

New format: After reading the CE Corner article, you will be asked to complete a "Commitment-to-Change" (CTC) exercise. The CTC exercise is designed to help facilitate the translation of your learning into practice. Completion of the CTC is required prior to the completion of the CE Test based on the APA Monitor CE Corner article.

This product is not included in the APA Unlimited CE program.

New York state psychologists: This program is not currently in compliance with the unique requirements imposed by the New York State Board of Education for New York licensed psychologists CE.

• Discuss psychological and societal challenges for autistic people upon reaching adulthood as well as for those diagnosed as adults.
• Identify the basics of working with autistic patients and the importance of understanding their specific needs, instead of automatically referring them to often unavailable specialists.
• Describe common strengths of autistic patients as well as skills for establishing trust with these patients.

Rachel Fairbank