As Dr Stephen Shore, an autism advocate who is on the spectrum, said, “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”
Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3. Youth on the spectrum may struggle in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, self regulation and cognitive function. Clients with ASD present with both unique strengths and difficulties and experience characteristics of their disability in different ways.
Our approach to treating clients who are on the spectrum is from a strength based perspective and involves meeting them where they are. We understand that, although those on the spectrum may have more challenges in certain areas, they are very capable of making progress toward their therapeutic goals and we design their treatment to match their unique capabilities. Involving families in treatment is extremely helpful and can offer parents support to empower them to understand some of the subtle brain differences and helpful ways of responding to their child to prevent escalation. We also offer social skills groups where kiddos can sharpen their interpersonal skills..