Lynda Geller, Ph.D.
YAI Autism Advisory Council Member 
http://aspergercenter.com

So many children, teens, and adults with Asperger Syndrome say they have had negative experiences working with therapists. Finding the right person who is expert in helping individuals gain the social, self regulatory, and personal advocacy skills can be critical to making important changes and managing life challenges positively. Those with little experience with Asperger Syndrome may have an insufficient understanding of the unique neurodevelopmental issues that those on the spectrum present and may apply typical psychotherapy techniques that do not teach and support the development of new skills.

Questions that can help you determine who can best help should include:

• What is your specific training about AS?
• How long have you been working with individuals with AS?
• Do you specialize in children or adults?
• What is your treatment orientation?
• How do you assess what kind of intervention you choose for your clients?
• Are you willing to learn about AS and seek mentorship from a knowledgeable professional in order to provide competent treatment?
• Do you have a working relationship with other clinicians in case other treatment modalities are needed?

In addition to specific questions, it is important to try to gain a feeling for the person’s level of warmth and understanding.

• Explain why you are seeking treatment and listen to how the person responds to your particular issues.
• Assess if the person expresses genuine caring for individuals on the spectrum. A certain level of investment is necessary to work out what can best help individuals with such diversity of being.
• Be prepared to let an introductory session be just that. If a professional cannot communicate an initial concept for treatment, he or she may be too inexperienced. It is not uncommon to meet two or three therapists before making a decision of who is the best person to provide treatment.

In addition, even if you have been in treatment for some time, whomever you are working with should be willing to review progress every so often so that the joint decision to continue, refer elsewhere, or discontinue treatment can be fully considered.

There are a wide variety of professionals who provide psychotherapy including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, mental health counselors, or marriage and family therapists. Genuine understanding of Asperger Syndrome may be more important than any particular degree, and finding the right match of knowledge, approach, and authenticity is the key to effective treatment.

Lynda Geller, Ph.D., served on the faculties of Georgetown University, Stony Brook University and NYU Medical Schools for 25 years, where she created and developed clinical centers providing a wide array of services for children and adults with autism spectrum conditions. She has also served on the special education faculty of Pace University. She developed a large-scale educational program for schools struggling with the complexities of including students with autism spectrum disorders in mainstream classrooms. Dr. Geller has a clinical practice in New York City which provides specialized clinical and educational services for children and adults with Asperger Syndrome and related conditions. She is a distinguished member of YAI's Autism Advisory Council. http://aspergercenter.com