Adult and Adolescent Therapy for Autism and Asperger's Disorder

ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT FOR ADULTS WITH ASPERGER'S DISORDER AND HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM

In addition to services for children and adolescents I am one of the few providers in BC with extensive experience working with young adults and adults with autism and Asperger’s Disorder / Syndrome. As a matter of fact, over the past few years more and more of my practice has focused on working with young adults and social/work place issues. This includes social coaching, workplace evaluations, intervention planning and family consultations. Full comprehensive evaluations and diagnosis of adult Aspergers is also available.  Some of the aims of therapy for adults with Asperger's or high functioning autism are:

• to teach new cognitive and behavioral skills that were never learned
• to teach compensatory strategies for deficits that cannot be changed
• to facilitate self-acceptance
• to teach strategies to decrease or prevent symptoms of co-morbid mental health problems, such as anxiety disorders and depression

SERVICES FOR AUTISM AND ASPERGER'S DISORDER / SYNDROME

• Assessment and Diagnostic Services (autism, Asperger’s, ADHD and related disorders)
• Workplace consultations and site based education programs
• Community based social coaching programs for individuals with high functioning autism and Asperger’s Disorder / Syndrome
• Educational / Social coaching for young adults in the workplace, college and similar settings
• Social coaching for adults with high functioning autism, Asperger's Disorder / Syndrome
• Couples counselling for couples dealing with adult autism,  adult  Asperger's Disorder / Syndrome

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS):
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND FOR PROVIDING TREATMENT FOR ADULTS WITH ASPERGER'S AND HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM?

My background for working with adults starts with my work with children and adolescents for over two decades. Understanding adult symptoms requires being familiar with the developmental issues of Asperger's and high functioning autism. I have worked as a teacher of special education, a school psychologist, a district behaviour specialist for autism and a provincial consultant for autism and related disorders providing consultation throughout the province of British Columbia.

Three other important skills and experience also come into play in working with adults with Asperger's Disorder or high functioning autism. First, several years of experience working as a neuropsychological consultant with Rehab Without Walls in California provided me with experience in working with workplace related problems. Second, many adults come to me with concerns about their relationships, including couple relations and relations as a parent. Before becoming a registered psychologist I was a licensed and registered Marriage and Family Therapist and have worked as a couple and family therapist for several years. This includes advanced training in the Gottman Couple's Therapy technique. Third, one of the most commonly used individual therapy techniques when working with adults with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT. I hold an advanced certificate in CBT from the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City. 

DO YOU WORK WITH ADHD (ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPER ACTIVITY DISORDER) AND EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION?

ADHD is now often diasgnosed along with Asperger's Disorder of High Functioning Autism. Much of my work with children, adolescents and adults focuses on ADHD and deficits of executive function. Executive function is the concept referring to the cognitive processes required to plan and direct activities, including what we refer to as task initiation and follow-through, working memory, sustained attention, performance monitoring, inhibition of impulses, and goal directed persistence. It also effects an individuals ability to control and modulate their emotions.

Many clients I see have deficits in executive functioning which prevents them from having the necessary skills to perform well in school, work or in social settings. With these clients we often need to make diagnostic decisions through testing and assessment, and then develop an individualized treatment plan addressing school, home and work. This might involve individual behavioural therapy, school or work consultation, referral to medical professionals, and psychoeducation. I often work closely with schools and employers in Burnaby, Coquitlam, Vancouver, New Westminster and Port Moody.

I often provide reading material, training videos and demonstrate and practice specific intervention techniques with clients. Much of the work we do in the area of ADHD is based upon the research and treatment programs developed by Dr. Russell Barkley. Please refer to my ADHD/ADD page on my website for more information.

WHAT ABOUT ANXIETY, DEPRESSION OR FAMILY ISSUES?

Adolescents and adults are also seen for both diagnostic assessment and treatment of depression, anxiety and behaviour problems that might arise out of environmental or other situations. These individuals might take part in cognitive based therapy or counselling, or they might be provided with more traditional supportive therapy. I have provided child, adolescent and adult therapy for over twenty years using scientifically sound treatment techniques to meet the child or adolescent’s needs.  Anxiety and depression are frequent co-morbid disorders for adults with Asperger's Disorder or high functioning autism and need to be addressed in treatment.

HOW DO I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND IS THERE A WAITING LIST?

You may phone my office at 778.998-7975 or email me to begin setting up an appointment. The home page of this website has an email form you may use. Fees for sessions follow the guidelines of the British Columbia Psychology Association ($175.00 per session) and may be paid by cash, check or through PayPal.  Often extended health care covers the cost of seeing a registered psychologist.  Long term therapy is usually provided at a reduced rate. There is usually no longer than a one to two week waiting period. 

More information can be found at my website: http://www.relatedminds.com

 

Child, Adolescent and Adult Testing for Autism / Aspeger's Disorder

This week two patients came to me and said they wanted an assessment for autism. Actually one said autism, this was an assessment for a teenager, and another wanted an assessment for Aspeger's Disorder. Both were sent by their family physicians, which is how I usually get my referrals.​

Both wanted to know what it consisted of and how much it would cost. Those are very reasonable questions, but not so easy to answer. An assessment usually is completed to answer a specific question, and most of the time a diagnosis alone isn't worth spending time or money on. So I usually ask, "What do you need this diagnosis for?"​

With a child an autism diagnosis, and it doesn't matter if we are looking at "classical autism" or Asperger's Disorder, High Functioning Autism or whatever term you may be using (it is now all one diagnosis on a spectrum in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the DSM-5)​ if it's to help with education you often need both an assessment for autism using the ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) and the ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) to qualify for school and provincial services here in British Columbia, as well as a full psychoeducational assessment. This is necessary to help determine what interventions to use in the school to help the student learn. This is a very comprehensive procedure and can cost between $2,600 and $3,400.00

I ask about this because the school may be able to complete the psychoeducational assessment component, which significantly reduces the cost. Or, maybe a psychoeducational assessment has already been completed!​

​Adults, on the other hand, often come to me for an assessment and diagnosis because they want to understand themselves and be able to explain behaviours. They just want to know why they might be doing the things they are doing. In this case I'm often reluctant to conduct a time consuming and expensive assessment. An assessment should not just tell you what you have, it should tell you what to do about it! Adult assessments often are used in employment as well, to get accommodations and consideration at the work place.

A diagnosis of adult autism or Asperger's Disorder​ (sometimes called Asperger's Syndrome) means not just seeing if you meet a list of criteria or symptoms, it means ruling out the many other possible disorders that look very much like Asperger or High Functioning Autism. This means completing not only the usual assessment for autism/Aspergers but also personality assessments, some neuropsychological tests and often speech and language assessments, as some specific speech and language deficits can look just like autism/Asperger's. 

Just like a student, who would use the assessment/test results to develop an educational plan (an IEP or Individual Education Plan is developed by the school based upon the assessment results) an adult should also expect to be able to use their test results to make a life intervention plan, use the results to come up with a plan to improve issues at work, home, in relationships or recreation. ​

Assessments are used to make plans and look forward, not just to diagnose. ​I would agree with parents who object to getting a "label" but would urge them to get a good diagnosis and use it to make a plan.

For more information about the diagnostic services I provide you can visit my web page at www.relatedminds.com. ​ You will find information about autism services for children, adolescents and adults and assessment services. You can also call me at 778.998-7975 or email me at relatedminds@gmail.com

I provide assessment services, diagnosis of autism/Aspergers for provincial funding, parent education, behaviour management programs and individual and couple therapy for adults with high functioning autism and Asperger's Disorder.​