Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work for Autistic Clients?

"The concept that a person can be both autistic and struggle with mental health disorders is relatively new in the social sciences. This is due in part to the historical practice of housing autistic people in institutions and denying them their rights as full members of society, and in part due to the recognition of only the most impacted individuals as being autistic until more recent versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)."

"After the deinstitutionalization movement, which started in the 1960s, and the evolution in understanding of what it means to be autistic, it became clear that not only do autistic people struggle with mental health conditions, they do so at much higher rates than the general population. For example, a recent meta study found that 70% of autistic individuals qualify for at least one mental health diagnosis and 50% qualify for two or more."

Recognition that autistic people can also struggle with mental health disorders emerged after deinstitutionalization and broadened diagnostic criteria. Historical institutionalization and earlier focus on the most impacted individuals obscured co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Autistic people experience mental health conditions at much higher rates than the general population; a meta-study found 70% qualify for at least one diagnosis and 50% for two or more. Untreated mental health conditions in autistic individuals lead to long-term negative outcomes. No fully evidence-based interventions exist specifically for treating mental health diagnoses in the autistic population, generating debate about effective modalities. Cognitive behavioral therapy shows promise but often requires modification, and more clinician training is needed to serve autistic clients effectively.

Read at Psychology Today