Open AccessTherapeutic Strategies for Adults with ASD. Building Romantic and Intimate Relationships; Starting Family.
Author(s) -
Galina Itskovich
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
autizm i narušenie razvitiâ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2413-4317
pISSN - 1994-1617
DOI - 10.17759/autdd.2021190302
Subject(s) - mentalization , psychology , psychoeducation , affect (linguistics) , metacognition , therapeutic relationship , psychotherapist , coaching , intervention (counseling) , romance , interpersonal communication , shame , cognition , developmental psychology , social psychology , psychoanalysis , communication , neuroscience , psychiatry
This paper further examines unique aspects of emotional life of adults with ASD and challenges and rewards of building long-term romantic and family relationships. Psychotherapeutic methods of choice, DIRFloortime and mentalization, are aimed at forming, maintenance and flexible repair of the interpersonal relationship: DIRFloortime offers play- and affect-based strategies and helps to build interpersonal relationship, while mentalization techniques provide metacognitive intervention and serve as scaffolding for emotional thinking and higher-level cognition. Techniques of Floortime play, Socratic questions and collateral work proved to be effective. Clinical vignettes illustrate moving the entire family up towards more effective and harmonious co-regulated interaction with corrections to sensory triggers, elements of psychoeducation about self-regulation, and direct self-regulation individual coaching. Coregulating affect, raising self-awareness, demonstrating relationship building and repair, as well as interest in the other in the course of playful interaction; waiting and gently prodding into the emotionally meaningful subjects helps the therapist to help adult autists to erect the societal support system.