Building Therapeutic Alliance with Children with Autism
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Authors
Wong, Michelle
Issue Date
2025
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
therapeutic alliance , autism , children , neurodiversity
Alternative Title
Abstract
In therapy, the therapeutic relationship is at the heart of change. Effective communication and social skills serve as the foundation for building relationships, but what occurs to the relationship when communication and social skills do not align with those of the therapist? This capstone examines the mechanisms that impede the therapeutic alliance between autistic children and neurotypical counsellors. It reviews the literature on deficit-based models of autism and discusses concepts such as the theory of mind and motivation to elucidate the challenges that autistic children face when forming relationships. Additionally, it explores the contemporary strength-based neurodiverse perspective of autism, including concepts like the double empathy program and differences in neurotype. Findings emphasize the importance of adopting a neurodiverse lens to foster stronger therapeutic alliances. The findings from this literature review are important for understanding barriers to creating a therapeutic alliance, focusing on cognitive and social processes.
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Citation
Publisher
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess