How can we make therapy better for autistic adults? Autistic adults' ratings of helpfulness of adaptations to therapy.

Abstract

Lay abstract: Autistic people experience more mental health conditions like depression or anxiety than non-autistic people. They are also more likely to experience difficulties in accessing mental health supports Clinicians have published suggestions on how to improve therapy for autistic people. However, whether these ways to adapt (i.e. adaptations) therapy for autistic people are seen as helpful by autistic people themselves has not been investigated. We recruited 130 autistic adults to complete an online survey. They rated 55 adaptations to therapy from "Not at all helpful" to "Extremely helpful." We also asked for ideas of additional adaptations. Adaptations classified as neurodiversity affirming (e.g. having a therapist that embraces differences in brains and provides support to affirm neurodivergent identity) were rated highest. Approximately half of adaptations were rated positively at a group level. However, for almost every adaptation at least one person rated it as not at all helpful and at least one rated it as extremely helpful. Additional adaptations were around general good practice, financial cost, neurodiversity-affirming practices, practical, sensory/environmental, structure, and therapy style/techniques. Our findings add how helpful autistic people themselves rate adaptations to therapy and similarities and differences to clinicians. This is important to consider how these perspectives can differ. Findings also identify additional suggestions that clinicians could use in their practice and ideas for future research. Findings can help autistic adults in advocating for adaptations to therapy that address their needs by providing a list of possible adaptations. Furthermore, findings may help clinicians to better support their autistic clients.