therapy for autistic adults

April 19, 2021 3:52 PM

I am looking for therapy practices/therapists/organizations (psychotherapy and/or occupational therapy for sensory issues) anywhere in the US that take (any kind of) insurance and are very skilled at or specialize in working with autistic adults who are fine at living independently and have been able to cope with the world enough to make it through high school and college without particular help (although perhaps are very worn down from it and are not at all thriving.) This is for myself.

Most of the resources I see are either
a) private-pay only or
b) directed toward adults who are in a very different place in life than me (for example perhaps their parents are still managing their care/trying to help them learn to live independently) and generally not coming from the perspective I want (e.g. I see a lot of autism services organizations that take insurance but seem to focus mostly on kids--with adult services that maybe view autistic adults as sort of like kids--and often still believe in modalities like ABA, which is a dealbreaker and not the sort of org I'm looking for at all.)

I am open to moving somewhere that has better services/coverage and choosing an insurance plan that is accepted by a particular practice or organization, so information about anywhere in the US is welcome.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

I have several suggestions but don’t want to identify my location publicly. MeMail me if you’re comfortable, or maybe ask the mods to post a throwaway email?
posted by brook horse at 4:41 PM on April 19, 2021 [1 favorite]

behavior analysis therapy billing varies GREATLY by state in the united states. in new york for example behavior analysts can ONLY get insurance reimbursement for autism therapy, nothing else. other states allow reimbursement based on other criteria. the other issue is that MANY insurance companies will only reimburse for autism-specific treatment for people under 18/21. california, illinois, massachusetts, and texas would be good starting points in terms of finding a practitioner and maybe having insurance pay for it.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 7:49 AM on April 20, 2021

I'll just say my autistic partner has done better working with a gentle trauma-based therapist than with two autism specialists, in case that helps!
posted by todolos at 1:46 PM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]

I've been looking for similar resources with little luck. I've only found good matches in private pay, cobbling together a trauma therapist, a career coach who specializes with ND executive function issues, and a PT to help me with my lax ligaments. The first two are remote, I'm in a top 30 U.S. metro and there's zilch locally. It's dismal out there.

Joining forums and following the social media accounts of other autistic adults has taught me more about sensory adaptations than anything else. I think you'll have to look very hard to find what you want, if it exists.

If you're on Facebook you might consider posing this question to these groups (I suspect the first three are most likely to help, but you never know):

Beyond Stereotypes: Healthcare Professionals & Autistics who Camouflage
Autism Late Diagnosis Support and Education
Autistic Adults with ADHD
Autistic Researchers Researching Autism (ARRA)
Adults Living with High Functioning Autism
Surprise! You're Autistic!
Ask me, I'm Autistic (24hr rule!)
Why did I walk into this room? A progressive ADHD/Autistic support group
Actually Autistic Adults and Allies
this is autistic culture

There are groups for autistic women and queers, too. I've found them helpful. Feel free to DM for the full laundry list.
posted by lloquat at 5:22 PM on April 20, 2021 [4 favorites]