What Is Psychology and How Does it Relate to Autism?
Psychology is the study of the human mind. This social science has made huge contributions to the understanding and treatment of autism. There are a number of ways in which psychologists and psychiatrists can play a role in helping children and adults with autism.Psychotherapy, broadly speaking, is any treatment that uses talking in the process of helping you with your emotional life. One type of psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is thought to have its modern origins in the exploratory psychoanalysis developed by Sigmund Freud. Another type has its origins in behavioral principles. Psychologists and psychiatrists (MDs who can prescribe medications) work with children and adults with autism, and have an arsenal of psychotherapeutic tools at their disposal, such as role play, exposure therapy (exposing individuals to feared or difficult situations in a controlled and supportive manner) and much more.
Applied Behavior Analysis is a form of behavioral therapy and is often used successfully to treat individuals with autism. ABA, however, is not talk therapy; rather it is a carefully structured process wherein an individual is taught skills using rewards to reinforce correct answers or preferred actions. Typically, ABA is provided by therapists with specific ABA training.
Developmental psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with child development and explores typical and atypical development, questions of nature versus nurture, and related topics. Developmental psychology is the basis for several well-known treatments for autism, including Floortime and Relationship Development Intervention(RDI).
Why Would a Person With Autism Need to See a Psychologist?
Most psychologists use various types of talk therapy with their patients. Most people with autism have compromised abilities to use spoken language. As a result, certain kinds of talk therapy may not be a good therapeutic choice for individuals with autism who are unable to use spoken language to reflectupon or improve their day-to-day lives.That said, however, there are many people with autism whose spoken language skills are very strong indeed, and for whom issues such as social anxiety and depression have become serious concerns. Of course, a psychologist working with an autistic individual on those issues needs to have a solid understanding of how autism impacts social communication skills. Says Dr. Robert Naseef, a psychologist with an autism specialty:
- It’s not like traditional talk therapy, but where it’s similar is you build a relationship with the client. Individuals with autism have a different way of thinking, misinterpret signals, have trouble making sense of what they’re seeing. A psychologist can work with people on that. It’s almost impossible to have autism and not have some anxiety; psychologists have good tools for working with anxiety, particularly cognitive and behavioral tools.
What Does a Psychologist Do For People with Autism?
Psychologists are often involved in the process of diagnosing both children and adults with autism. They may also recommend appropriate treatment programs, and/or support the process of evaluation, benchmarking and ongoing assessment.On an ongoing basis, psychologists work with both children and adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome to treat issues such as social anxiety, depression, and perseverative behavior (doing or saying the same things over and over again). Dr. Naseef has also worked with individuals on the autism spectrum to help them manage self stimulation (stims), "autopsy" social interactions, understand social cues, and manage school and work relationships.
