Autism Therapy

Do You Struggle With Situations That Seem Easy For Others?

Does it feel like no one understands the challenges you are facing? Is it hard to communicate what you need in difficult circumstances?

Maybe you’ve felt left out of social groups for as long as you can remember. Perhaps you struggle with conversations or social events and it’s holding you back in your professional life. It could be that getting an autism diagnosis helped you understand why you feel the way you do, but it hasn’t given you the tools you need to overcome these challenges. Maybe you’ve considered therapy, but you’re not sure where to turn.

The Symptoms of Autism Can Touch Many Different Parts Of Your Life

Some of the challenges of living with autism include:

• Poor social skills

• Anxiety/ social anxiety

• Depression

• Loneliness

• Relationship Challenges

• Sensory Sensitivities

• Trauma

• Academic challenges

• Struggles in the workplace

At Monarch Behavioral Health, our therapists specialize in autism therapy and we can help adults, teens, children, and parents navigate common issues that many neurodiverse individuals experience.

Autism Is More Common Than You Might Think

If you have autism, you might feel alone in your struggles. But autism occurs across all walks of life and can happen to different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. In the United States, as many as 1 in 44 people have been identified as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

In fact, autism diagnoses have steadily increased over the years as doctors and mental health professionals learn more about it and how it presents in a wide variety of people.[2] As awareness for autism continues to increase, more people are understanding what it means to be autistic and how it affects people.

Finding Support Can Be Difficult If You’re Struggling With Autism

Researchers don’t know exactly what causes autism, but most people with the condition have similar symptoms. One thing that many people on the spectrum struggle with is social skills such as communication and connecting with others. They might struggle to read social cues and hold conversations. This can present a dilemma: if someone is struggling with communicating their needs, it can be extra difficult for them to find support.

If you need guidance, therapy can help you figure out how autism affects you and learn coping skills and strategies to assist you in daily life.

Autism Therapy Can Provide Social Skills and Emotional Support

At Monarch Behavioral Health, we are mental health professionals who offer our clients social skills, emotional support, and strategies for coping with daily life challenges.

We know that reaching out for support services for yourself or your child can be overwhelming. It’s common to feel apprehensive when you’re starting counseling for autism. You don’t have to worry because our counselors are skilled at helping clients with autism spectrum disorder navigate their challenges in a supportive and safe environment.

What We Offer And Who We Help

There are a lot of different options for treatment, so we are confident that we can develop a plan uniquely suited to your situation. Our autism therapists work with clients who are on the spectrum, over the age of eleven, and need a low or moderate level of mental health support. We offer both mental health support and life skills coaching. We do not offer treatment like ABA therapy or occupational therapy for autism.

Autism Therapy Is Designed To Meet Your Individual Needs

When you first begin working with us, we want to take the time to get to know you and lay a foundation of comfort and rapport. It’s important to us that you feel informed, supported, and empowered throughout your counseling journey.

Working together, we want to dig deeper and explore your struggles, fears, hopes, and dreams. If you’re autistic, you may face problems similar to other people with autism, but you probably have challenges that are unique to you, too. Likewise, you probably have unique strengths and ways of looking at things that can help you work through your challenges. We want to honor your strengths and adequately address the barriers you’re facing.

After we’ve gotten to know you and the issues that are bringing you or your child into counseling, we will develop a therapeutic plan to help you cope with the challenges you’re experiencing and teach you skills to help you be successful in the future. We can give you strategies for dealing with sensory overload, managing stress and anxiety, and paying attention to social cues. We want you to meet your goals for counseling, so we will tailor our approach to help you do that.

Through trust and communication, we can develop a therapy plan that can help you learn the skills you need to succeed with challenges like communication, public speaking, or connecting with friends one-on-one. Most importantly, we want to help you learn to thrive with autism and surround yourself with people who are there to support you.

But You May Have Concerns About Autism Therapy…

What if I’m struggling with more than just autism?

We recognize that being neurodivergent might not be the only challenge you’re experiencing. It is common for autistic individuals to also experience anxiety, depression, loneliness, sadness, poor self-esteem, low self-confidence, or attention-deficit. You might even be twice-exceptional (2E). We are prepared to support you through any of these challenges as well.

I’m not sure if I have autism, what should I do?

If you or your child have not received a formal diagnosis of autism, but are interested in pursuing one, then we encourage you to consider psychological testing. At Monarch Behavioral Health, Dr. Sharp offers autism testing for individuals 18-months through young adulthood. Getting a diagnosis from a trained professional allows you to truly understand your or your child’s brain and/or cognitive, emotional, and behavioral profile, including strengths and challenges. Many of our clients share that understanding their profile helps put together the pieces and can be validating and empowering.

My child has autism, and I need support to help them.

As a parent of an autistic child, we know that you may face unique parenting challenges and we’re here to help you support your child and create a home environment that meets your family’s needs. We want you to be successful in reaching your goals and coping with routine life challenges when they arise. Our therapy team would be honored to work with you and support you as you find ways to support your child.

You Can Live The Life You Want

We know that life can be overwhelming when you’re on the spectrum, so we encourage you to reach out to a therapist who specializes in neurodiversity and autism therapy. Therapy can help you gain perspective, learn to advocate for yourself, and learn skills to help you accomplish your dreams. Contact Monarch Behavioral Health to begin your journey.