Autism
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD/autism) are characterized by social difficulties, differences in communication skills, and restricted or repetitive behaviors. The “spectrum” aspect of ASD does not refer to a “high” or “low” end of functioning; rather, each individual characteristic of ASD is its own spectrum, meaning that no two autistic individuals* present in exactly the same way.
Autism therapy through a neurodiversity lens.
At The Center for Pediatric Psychology, we practice from a neurodiversity lens, meaning that we understand and appreciate the variability in the ways in which our brains work. When it comes to therapy for ASD, the purpose of treatment is to help families and children build skills to reduce harm and distress and improve the child’s quality of life. For characteristics of autism that are not causing distress or impacting daily functioning (e.g., “stimming”, speech differences), we do not recommend treating them.
Our autism therapists help explain the “why” behind a child’s behavior.
The Center for Pediatric Psychology’s approach focuses on helping families to better understand the “why” behind their child’s behaviors and autistic characteristics, creating a more positive parent-child relationship, and working together to develop socially significant goals. We draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help parents better understand and appreciate characteristics of autism and utilize the Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) parent training model for treatment. RUBI parent training is ideal for children between the ages of 3-10 years old and empowers families to:
Understand the causes of different behaviors in order to prevent them
Respond appropriately when challenging behaviors occur, and
Promote more positive behaviors
*Self-advocates in the ASD community differ in their preferences when it comes to discussing their autistic identities. We use both person-first (i.e., “person with autism”) and identity-first (i.e., “autistic person”) language to honor the variability in preferences. In practice, we use whichever terms are preferable for the individuals and families we work with.
Get Started with Autism Therapy in Lehigh Valley
We offer autism spectrum disorder treatment in Allentown, Bethlehem, and the greater Philadelphia area.