When Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Are Disbelieved
Houston Autism Spectrum Therapy
At The Resilience Center of Houston, our experienced team offers personalized Houston Autism Spectrum Therapy to help individuals on the spectrum thrive. Whether you’re seeking early intervention or ongoing support, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Reach out today to learn how we can help you or your loved one navigate the challenges of ASD and reach their full potential.
What is Autism Spectrum?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that affects how individuals communicate, interact socially, and process information. It exists on a spectrum, meaning that symptoms and severity vary from person to person. Some individuals may experience challenges with verbal communication and social interactions, while others may have repetitive behaviors, sensory sensitivities, or difficulty adapting to changes in routine.
What Type of Therapy is Best for Autism Spectrum Therapy?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to Autism Spectrum Therapy, as each individual’s needs and challenges are unique. However, evidence-based therapies commonly used in Houston Autism Spectrum Therapy include:
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): A widely-used therapy that focuses on improving specific behaviors, including social skills, communication, and adaptive learning skills through positive reinforcement.
Speech Therapy: Helps individuals with autism improve communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, and develop functional language abilities.
Occupational Therapy (OT): Focuses on helping individuals develop daily living skills, fine motor skills, and coping strategies for sensory sensitivities.
Social Skills Training: Helps individuals with autism learn how to engage and interact in social settings, improving their ability to form meaningful relationships.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Can help individuals manage anxiety, emotions, and behavior related to social and sensory challenges.
What Are the Typical Symptoms of Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder manifests differently in each person, but common symptoms include:
Difficulty with Social Interactions: Limited eye contact, trouble understanding social cues, and difficulty forming relationships.
Communication Challenges: Delayed speech, limited verbal skills, or difficulty expressing emotions and thoughts.
Repetitive Behaviors: Engaging in repetitive movements, routines, or speech patterns (e.g., hand-flapping, echolalia).
Sensory Sensitivities: Over- or under-sensitivity to sensory inputs like sound, light, touch, or smell.
Difficulty Adapting to Change: Discomfort with changes in routine or unfamiliar environments.
Are There Ways to Help Treat Autism? What Are Typical Methods to Treat This?
While there is no cure for autism, early intervention and tailored therapy can significantly improve quality of life and functional abilities. Houston Autism Spectrum Therapy offers a variety of treatments designed to meet the specific needs of individuals with ASD. Some of the most effective methods include:
Individualized Therapy Plans: Treatment is customized to the needs of each person, addressing their communication, behavioral, and social skills.
ABA Therapy: Focuses on teaching desired behaviors and reducing unwanted ones through a structured, evidence-based approach.
Speech and Occupational Therapy: These therapies help individuals with autism develop essential communication, motor, and sensory-processing skills.
Parent Training and Support: Involving families in the therapeutic process ensures that individuals with autism receive consistent support at home and in their daily environments.
Medication: In some cases, medications may be used to address co-occurring conditions like anxiety, depression, or hyperactivity.
How Can Seeking Therapy Assist with Autism Spectrum Needs?
Seeking professional therapy can make a world of difference for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families. Houston Autism Spectrum Therapy provides a supportive and structured environment where individuals can:
Develop Communication and Social Skills: Therapy helps improve verbal and non-verbal communication, enabling individuals to express their needs and emotions.
Enhance Daily Living Skills: Occupational therapy and ABA help individuals build essential life skills, such as dressing, eating, and managing sensory sensitivities.
Foster Independence: Therapy encourages individuals to take steps toward greater independence, helping them navigate daily life and social interactions with confidence.
Address Emotional and Behavioral Challenges: Cognitive-behavioral therapy and social skills training can help individuals manage anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
At The Resilience Center of Houston, we have licensed therapists that are trained to treat a wide variety of mental health and behavioral health issues for children, teens and adults in the Greater Houston area.
Our expertise includes working with children, teens, adults, and seniors who struggle with life stressors and transitions, behavioral problems, and mental health disorders. Our therapists are licensed in Texas with a masters or doctoral level education and offer a wide-variety of evidence-based therapeutic techniques and approaches to provide you optimal professional care.
At The Resilience Center of Houston, we are open, affirming, and welcoming of all ethnicities, cultures, socio-economic statuses, genders, sexual identities, religions, and abilities. We work with people from all over greater Houston and accept reimbursement from 30+ insurance and EAP companies.
Call or email us today to get more information on our autism spectrum or schedule an appointment with a compassionate professional you can trust.
What are the different types of anxiety disorders?
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Generalized anxiety disorder involves excessive and persistent worry that interferes with daily life. Relentless worry results in physical symptoms, like restlessness, feeling on edge, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, exhaustion, and sleep problems. Topics of worry typically center on everyday matters, like appointments, home repairs, work responsibilities, and family health.
What is Panic Disorder?
Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent Panic Attacks. Panic attacks present with severe and overwhelming psychological and physical distress, involving some of the below symptoms.
What are the physical symptoms of Panic Disorder?
-
Rapid heartbeat
-
Shortness of breath
-
Muscle tension
-
Sweating
-
Shaking
-
Restlessness
-
Dizziness
-
Tightness in the chest
-
Numbness or tingling
What are the psychological symptoms of Panic Disorder?
-
Feeling like you’re having a heart attack
-
Feeling like you’re going to die
-
Feeling impending doom
-
Feeling like you’re going crazy
-
Feeling like you’re losing touch with reality
-
Fearing you’ll lose control of yourself
-
Constant worry about when you’ll have your next panic attack
-
Fear you’ll embarrass yourself
What are Phobias?
A specific phobia involves intense and persistent fear of a particular object, situation or activity that is generally not dangerous. The experienced distress is acute and leads sufferers to go to extreme lengths to avoid what they fear.
What are common phobias?
-
Fear of driving
-
Fear of flying
-
Fear of vomiting
-
Fear of needles
-
Fear of confined spaces
-
Fear of being alone
-
Fear of leaving the house
What is Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is characterized by the fear of being trapped or stuck in circumstances in which escape may be difficult or embarrassing, or help might not be easily available. The fear is acutely distressing and interferes with normal daily activities. The person typically avoids the situation, needs a companion, or experiences extreme anxiety.
What are common situations agoraphobics fear?
-
Trembling
-
Crowds
-
Enclosed Spaces
-
Open Spaces
-
Public transportation
-
Leaving the home
What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder ?
PTSD can develop after a severe physical or emotional trauma such as a sexual assault, natural disaster, or serious accident. Those with PTSD feel intensely upsetting thoughts and emotions connected to their traumatic experience that persist long after the situation happened.
What are PTSD symptoms?
The symptoms of PTSD can be categorized into four areas.
Intrusion – repeated, unwanted thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks of the event
Avoidance – steering clear of people, places, activities, and objects that are associated with the event.
Changes in cognition and mood – loss of interest, distorted thinking, difficulties concentrating, loss of certain memories, negative emotions, hypervigilance, social withdrawal, and anhedonia.
Changes in behavior – social withdrawal, anger outbursts, recklessness, sensitive startle response, problems sleeping.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social Anxiety Disorder involves excessive discomfort in social situations and a fear of experiencing embarrassment, judgment, humiliation, condescension, or rejection in social situations that can negatively impact work, school, and other daily activities. People with this disorder will try to avoid social situations or endure them with great anxiety.
What are commonly feared situations for those with social anxiety?
Commonly feared situations include attending parties, interacting at work, eating in public, or engaging in unscripted interactions.
What are common Social Anxiety symptoms?
-
Trembling
-
Blushing
-
Sweating
-
Rapid heartbeat
-
Mind goes blank
-
Stomachache
-
Speaks very softly
-
Avoids eye contact
What is Separation Anxiety Disorder?
Separation Anxiety Disorder is is characterized by excessive fear of being away from those we are close to, who are also called attachment persons.
What are signs of Separation Anxiety Disorder?
-
Anticipation of potential separation causes mounting fear
-
Persistent worry about the negative consequences resulting from separation
-
Obsessive focus on the multitude of situations that could lead to separation
-
Interferes with attending important activities, like work or school
-
Fears of sleeping outside the home and away from attachment persons
-
Nightmares about separation
-
Headaches, nausea, or vomiting
What is Selective Mutism?
Selective Mutism is a rare and debilitating childhood condition that involves a failure to speak in certain situations in which there is a natural expectation to speak. A child may talk at home, for example, and be nonverbal at school. The absence of spoken communication can significantly interfere with the child’s academic achievement and can stunt their social development and the formation of relationships with others. It is theorized that Selective Mutism may be an early and specific manifestation of Social Anxiety Disorder.
What are behaviors associated with Selective Mutism?
-
Clinginess
-
Temper Tantrums
-
Excessive Shyness
-
Social Isolation