Coach for Asperger's

Happy Holidays!

I’m taking the rest of the week off to celebrate the holidays. Before doing that, I wanted to thank all my readers, especially those who have commented on my blogs, or followed me on Twitter. I’m so fortunate to get to work with my wonderful clients, colleagues, and readers. I learn so much from you!

Happy Holidays!

GLBT and on the Autism Spectrum?

A lot of people ask me for info on support groups, social groups or discussion groups. Sometimes I can help them, especially if it’s something fairly common, like locating a parent support group for local parents with kids on the spectrum. But it seems like it gets tougher and tougher to find a group as the potential members get older. There are a lot fewer groups for teens or adults, and if the group is for multiple special issues it can really get difficult. That’s why I was pleased to find that GRASP is starting a new online discussion group for teens and adults within the GLBT community.  

Please check out the GRASP website for info on their latest support group: the GRASP GLBT Network. GRASP defines this group as a “discussion group for adults and teens who are on the autism spectrum and members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning community.”

Asperger’s, Autism and Psychotherapy

I’m a therapist, also called a counselor, a psychotherapist, or even a "shrink",  and I work with people who have Asperger’s, autism, or other ASDs. But that doesn’t mean I’m trying to cure someone of their autism. That’s a confusing distinction, but it’s important.

Many individuals on the autism spectrum are struggling with the symptoms from a mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or getting caught up in repetitive thoughts. Those are all things that can be treated with psychotherapy, (and sometimes other means), and often “cured” or at least managed so that the symptoms aren’t a problem.

Other individuals on the autism spectrum are trying to deal with issues that go along with their autism, such as difficulties with social signals or managing relationships. Those symptoms can also be managed through psychotherapy.

But the important thing is that in neither of these cases is psychotherapy meant to take the autism away from an individual. It’s not trying, or even wanting, to “cure” autism or Asperger’s.

I think that many autistic people don’t want to be changed. They appreciate and enjoy their cognitive strengths. They derive a great deal of pleasure from their special interests. They relish alone time. And they have no interest in becoming a social, outgoing, maybe even shallow, neurotypical.

The good news is that people can have the best of both worlds. Therapy can manage depression, anxiety, or other symptoms so they’re not a problem. People looking for more satisfying relationships or professional success can learn to adapt in the ways they choose to. And at the same time, all the strengths and special characteristics of ASDs don’t have to be erased.

You can learn more about this topic at my Therapy and Coaching for Asperger's, Autism and ADHD website or in my ezine article on Depression with Asperger’s and Autism.

Reading Smiles and Facial Expressions

One defining symptom of Asperger’s and autism is a difficulty in reading social signals, body language and facial expressions. But, lots of people struggle with this, not just those on the autism spectrum. Although for neurotypicals, reading others tends to be instinctive, everyone, autistic or neurotypical, can learn to pay attention and improve their skills.

There’s a fun self test on the BBC website where you can practice identifying real and fake smiles. The test has videos of 20 people smiling which you can analyze. During the test you can only watch the videos once, but if you want to study them repeatedly, you can review them after you get your results.

Moving Day!

Hi Readers,

Today is moving day. No, not my house, my website. And since my blog is a subdomain of my website that was effected too. And my email.

For those of you who couldn't find my blogs, they should be up and running as usual now. My website has been moved to new host, and the move should be invisible to you. But it you're having trouble, try to go to http://www.patriciarobinsonmft.com/ and leave off anything after the .com/ since some of the specific page addresses have changed. If you're trying to email me, it should be up today, but if I don't answer your message, please try again in a day or two.

Thanks for your patience! Who knew that being a therapist and coach would require me to use my engineering degrees?

More on Breathing

I've gotten mixed responses on my recent post about taking a breath. Some people say it doesn't work to relax them, others say they're not nervous. Of course, do whatever works for you.

However, if you'd like to try breathing to ground your emotions and feel more relaxed, I encourage you to explore the techniques I'm linking to here, in an article written by my colleague Toi Lynn Wyle. Toi Lynn is not only a psychotherapist and life coach, she's a yoga instructor as well, so she's an expert in this topic. I know everybody is different, but we all breathe. Under stress it can be easy to move up into our heads, and not remain grounded in the body. Breathing helps to connect us to our bodies. For those of us who weren't athletic as children, it can be very easy to be in the habit of living in our heads.

Take a breath.

Anger Management

Please read my newest article, published in the November-December 2008 issue of Autism Asperger's Digest Magazine. It's called Anger Management: Step-by-Step Strategies for Parents of Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders. You don't have to be a parent to use these anger management strategies!