Counseling

Children with
Autism
Kendall Jansen and Alyssa Cooperman
Who is the Oppressed Group?
- People with autism, in this case specifically
children, are considered the oppressed.

- In this category those who are able-bodied and

able minded are the oppressors.

- Typically these are the people who are serving

as the helpers to those with autism.
Defining Autism and Asperger's
Syndrome
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a
developmental disorder commonly diagnosed
through difficulty with speech, social skills, and
delayed development.

- Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is a form of Autism

characterized by individuals who have standard or
higher than average intelligence and a difficulty
with social skills and communication.
 Counseling, Autism and the
Problem with Empathy
- Children with ASD are often segregated out of
‘mainstream’ leisure activities
- Results in a ‘them’ mentality putting autistic
children into an oppressed category
- Creates a social norm that is “largely left
unchallenged”
- Creates a separation from typically functioning
peers
- Separation occurs “in-group” as well
- Ableism can happen within groups of children
with ASD

Nick Hodge. British Journal of Guidance & Counseling. Cambridge, 2013

 Treating Clients with Asperger’s
Syndrome and Autism
- Understanding social difficulties that the client
might be experiencing
- Lack of social skills leads to difficulty
developing relationships which results in
fewer opportunities to learn social skills
- Predictability of therapeutic environment
- Lack of emotional expression does not mean lack
of emotion
- Monitoring emotions
- Clients can become overwhelmed by their
emotions
- Can seem daunting but is very rewarding

Alisa G Woods, Esmaeli Mahdavi, Jeanne P. Ryan. September, 2013.

Unconscious Avoidance of Eye
Contact in Autism Spectrum
Disorder
- Researchers compared the eye movements of
typically developed people to those with autism
- Findings showed that people with ASD showed a
preference for faces with an averted gaze
- As opposed to sustained eye contact

- This is a significant finding in order to create a

comfortable therapeutic environment

A.R. Madipakkam, Rothkirch, Dziobek, Sterzer. October 2017

Specific Considerations
- Respect
- Understanding the autism is a spectrum and no
matter where someone is in their development, no
one wants to be treated younger than they are
- Awareness of sensory stimulation
- Importance of building rapport
- Every step is a step
- Don’t discount the little things
Citations
Apoorva, R. M., Rothkirch, M., Dziobek, I., & Sterzer, P. (2017). Unconscious avoidance of
eye contact in autism spectrum disorder. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 7,
1-6. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13945-5

Hodge, N. (2013). Counselling, autism and the problem of empathy. British Journal of
Guidance & Counselling, 41(2), 105. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2012.705817

Morgan, S. B. (1983). Understanding the diagnosis of autism: Initial counseling of parents

and other family members Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/63425237?accountid=9784

Woods, A. G., Mahdavi, E., & Ryan, J. P. (2013). Treating clients with asperger's syndrome
and autism. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 7
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1753-2000-7-32