Valerie Pavilonis
A recent Yale study found that individuals with autism spectrum disorder traits are as good or even slightly better social psychologists than those who do not have traits of autism.
The researchers found that social psychological skill — the ability to make general predictions about how others think, feel and behave — is positively related to autism spectrum disorder traits. People with traits of autism may be able to view situations more analytically, without needing to assess the emotional or mental states of individuals, the study reports.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Sept. 9, the study highlights the importance of distinguishing between different types of social intelligence.
“In autism, there are difficulties in being able to accomplish intuitive social skills like one-on-one interactions and reading social cues,” said Anton Gollwitzer GRD ’21, psychology doctoral student and primary author of the study. “But because social psychological skill is about generalized predictions rather than individual interactions, [we predicted that] people who are higher in autism might actually be very good at social psychology.”
Gollwitzer and John Bargh, professor of psychology and co-author of the study, had previously developed a novel measure of social psychological skill in the form of a questionnaire. In the study, the researchers administered this questionnaire to more than 6,000 participants and compared levels of autistic traits with social psychological skill.
Surprisingly, they found that those with higher levels of autistic traits were better at predicting the behavior of the general population than those with lower levels.
“This is pretty interesting, as it’s a social skill that’s quite different from these other types of social skills that people have talked about so much,” Gollwitzer said. “We tend to discuss person perception in terms of one-on-one skills, and to show that there might be these more reflective judgements that people who are commonly thought to not be socially skilled are very good at, is an inspirational direction to follow in terms of bringing out those skills in a societal light.”
The researchers also investigated whether social psychological skill is related to systemizing, or finding patterns in systems — a trait found to be, on average, more prominent in people with autism. Indeed, the study found a positive relationship between systemizing and social psychological skill.
According to Cameron Martel ’20, another co-author of the study, this finding suggests that systemizing could be the underlying reason for the positive relationship between social psychological skill and higher levels of autistic traits. Systemizing could allow those with autistic traits to make predictions about others’ behavior without needing to assess individual mental states, he explained.
While the positive relationship found between higher levels of autistic traits and social psychological skill may not be particularly large, the researchers noted that their results are significant, as they did not find the strong negative correlation that they had expected.
“The intuitive hypothesis might be that people who have higher levels of autistic traits are worse [at social psychology],” said James McPartland, director of the Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic and co-author of the study. “It turned out that they were slightly better, which was a surprising finding.”
The researchers also emphasized that they compared individuals with high levels of autistic traits to those with low levels, rather than testing a specific population of individuals with clinically diagnosed autism. Autistic traits span a range and do not constitute an all-or-none phenomenon, Gollwitzer explained.
“We all have varying levels of these autistic traits,” McPartland said, adding that investigating social psychological ability in people with clinically diagnosed autism is a potential future direction of study.
If a positive correlation is also found between those with clinically-diagnosed autism and social psychological ability, the next step would be to investigate which specific components of these social situations people with autistic traits are better at. These results could inform strategies to help people with autistic traits in other areas of social interaction, McPartland explained.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 59 children have autism spectrum disorder.
Ashley Qin | [email protected]
Fact-checked by Vincenza De Falco, Autism & Learning Disabilities Specialist Coach
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Therapy can be a highly rewarding career option. Many people love the ability to help people open up about their emotions and improve their mental health. However, this career can also be very taxing, requiring you to understand how people think and why they act a certain way.
So, can an autistic person become a therapist?
There is no reason why a person with autism spectrum disorder can’t become an excellent therapist. Around the world, hundreds of people who are on the spectrum can offer therapy services. In most cases, they will bring a unique set of skills to the clinic and deliver significant benefits for their patients.
For people with autism, being a therapist can be an excellent career choice. They will often be able to bring a new way of looking at the challenges faced by their clients. However, there might also be a few potential challenges that they might need to work through.
What Are The Requirements To Become A Therapist?
There are a few qualifications that you will need to meet. First, you’ll need to make sure that you’re meeting the educational requirements. Often, this means getting a bachelor’s degree. Then, you might need to have a work placement or undertake further studies. You’ll also need to sit a licensing exam.
Dr Spelman describes the process of becoming a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist in Ireland and the UK
There are many different types of therapists. For example, some people might prefer to be counselors, while others might want to become psychologists. Each of these roles will have a slightly different educational path.
However, most therapist roles will require you to go to a college and study and complete a bachelor’s degree. As a result, you’ll need to finish high school and get into college.
Once in college, you’ll need to find the right programs to study. In most cases, you’ll need to get a degree in psychology. However, the type of minor units you study will often impact the therapy branch you are exploring. To help you plan your enrollment, you might want to talk to a guidance counselor.
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After the degree, you might need to go on to further study, with some therapists requiring a doctorate. While not always essential, further education will often allow you to get access to positions that offer more responsibility and higher pay. In other cases, you will need to seek industry placement to hone your skills further.
Finally, you will need to get a license before you start practicing. This will usually require you to sit an exam. Once licensed, you’ll be ready to start working as a therapist.
What Challenges Can An Autistic Therapist Face? 👨⚕️
Sadly, there are some potential issues that an autistic therapist might need to overcome. Unfortunately, some patients might have preconceived ideas about autism, and won’t want to work with anyone on the spectrum.
One of the biggest challenges that an autistic therapist might face is pre-existing prejudices. Many people believe that autism will limit your ability to diagnose and treat them. As a result, they will be unwilling to use your services.
Though this can be a disheartening experience, it is rare. Most people will be willing to work with an autistic therapist. Many people with ASD report only losing a handful of clients throughout their careers.
Though you might face a few other challenges, like having trouble communicating with your clients, there are many ways to overcome these issues. There’s no reason why someone with autism won’t be able to become a skilled therapist.
Though people with autism might face unique challenges when becoming therapists, they shouldn’t let these potential issues deter them. They’ll gain the qualifications, start a practice, and serve clients just like a neurotypical person.
Why Might An Autistic Person Make A Great Therapist? 👩⚕️
There are plenty of reasons why people with autism might be able to succeed as a therapist or psychologist. Many autistic people can have excellent problem-solving skills, allowing them to find innovative solutions for their clients. They usually genuinely care about their clients, feeling a strong sense of moral obligation.
Though everyone on the autism spectrum will have a different experience, there are a few general reasons why people on the spectrum might make excellent therapists. To give you a better example of the type of experience that an autistic therapist might have, let’s look at the career of Natalie Engelbrecht.
She said that one of her most significant advantages is the ability to do in-depth research. One of the reasons people with autism are attracted to the industry is because they want to help people understand more about the way they think and act.
“I have mirror–emotion synesthesia which means I can literally feel what you are feeling. This helps me identify, understand, and empathize with you.”
“I am obsessive about research—generally putting in sixteen hours per day, four days per week, as well as a few hours per day on the other three days…If I don’t know the answer, I will find it.”
Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht RP ND, an autistic therapist.
As a result, they tend to be willing to dive deeper into different conditions, doing plenty of research to make sure that they come up with the correct diagnosis.
This can provide a lot of benefits for their patients, ensuring that they are getting an exceptional level of care. It’s also something that most people will appreciate, which is why autistic therapists tend to have high client satisfaction levels.
Natasha also mentions the ability to pick up on some cues that other therapists might miss. This can help her problem-solving skills, allowing her to create a more accurate diagnosis.
A common misconception about autistic people is that they don’t feel emotions. This isn’t true. In most cases, therapists will feel deeply about their clients and make sure that they are getting the best possible care.
It’s also possible that autistic therapists will be able to work well with autistic patients. For example, they will be able to help parents understand why an autistic child might display certain behaviors. While this type of therapy might not be for everyone, it can be very impactful.
Regardless of the type of therapy chosen, people on the spectrum will be able to do an outstanding job. As a result, they should be given a chance to become therapists and bring their insights to the profession.
Related Questions
- Can an autistic person become a psychiatrist? This will often require an extra level of study, as a doctorate will usually be required. However, there is no reason why someone with autism can’t complete the necessary training and become a skilled psychiatrist in the UK or the US.
- How many years of training is required to become a therapist? There are many different types of therapy that you might want to pursue, depending on the area that interests you the most. However, in most cases, you’ll need to study for at least three to four years to achieve a bachelor’s degree. Then, you might need to study for the licensing exam. Click here to learn more about the process in the UK and here for the requirements across different states in the US.
Final Thoughts
Many people are attracted to a career in therapy because they have a strong desire to help people. There is no reason why someone with autism won’t be able to become a therapist. They might be able to bring unique insights and skills, which can benefit the patients they look after.
As a result, many autistic therapists report high levels of satisfaction from their clients. Though people with autism might face unique challenges, these can be overcome to have a fulfilling career.
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Vincenza De Falco is an Autism & Learning Disabilities (LD) specialist coach with extensive experience working with young people with various needs in different settings. Her passion for Autism & LD started as a volunteer at a multi-functional provision for Autism while studying for a BA in Theatre, Education, and Deaf Studies.
Throughout her career, Vincenza continues her professional development alongside working within numerous support and leadership roles in education and charities. Having gained Level 3 in Speech and Language Support, HLTA qualification, Level 3 Award in Education and Training, and Level 3 CMI Coaching qualification, Vincenza has furthered her expertise within Autism & LD.
Entering the Third Sector as a Project Manager developing and delivering a specialist NEET program, she subsequently joined ThinkForward’s newest venture DFN MoveForward, supporting young people with Autism & LD to successfully transition from education into paid employment. Through 1:1 coaching, family support, and training employers to become disability confident, Vincenza builds bespoke programs for young people with the end goal of work readiness and employment. Through Vincenza’s passion for creating systemic change in Disability and employment, she forms part of the successful partnership running the DFN Project Search Supported Internship at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
References
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