Autism/psychologist- just wondering

If a child with autism gets mad/angry over a life issue (divorce/new sibling), would a psycologist be able to work thru it with the child?

The child doesn't really speak of feelings, but is verbal. Can understand commands (put this on the table) but doesn't comprehend when reading a story.

Child is 6.

Re: Autism/psychologist- just wondering

Definately. I assume the child is getting services at school. Their teacher/social worker/psychologist at school should be helping with this as well. Alot of kids on the spectrum are visual learners so doing a social story with them would help them process what is going on.

We use social stories alot and they have always helped. We haven't had to deal with something as serious as a divorce or new sibling but we did one for when we moved into a new house and just recently when DD's teacher went out on maternity leave.

Re: Autism/psychologist- just wondering

I teach 6 year old kids with autism and many of them receive counseling services and have a mandate on their IEP. We also participate in an Emotional Literacy program where the students are learning to recognize and label their emotions. Just because they have autism, doesn't mean that they don't have complicated lives like everyone else!

I use a "mood meter" graphic organizer and then I have a template that uses PECS where the students use symbols to tell me what happened that made them react, how they felt and what they did. (Ex: Mommy is sick, I feel sad, I hit)

There are lots of good counselors that know how to work with kids on the spectrum.

I don't know too much about it, but the counselor at my school recently got trained in RDI and she said good things about it and started implementing it with some of the students.

Re: Autism/psychologist- just wondering

Depending on cognitive ability, as well as receptive and expressive language, and how the behaviors come out, the following strategies are provided:

Role playing and practicing specific calming strategies

Being taught scripts to say to communicate anger, with a potent reinforcer provided

Visual strategies that show a step by step of what to do, and when.... Either through rating scales, or power cards.

Social stories can be helpful as well