Working with Autistic People in Mental Health Settings

Mental health services support many Autistic people - whetheror not they are formally identified - and have a vital opportunity to embrace neurodiversity-affirmative approaches that truly meet their needs. Too often,traditional therapies, even when well-intentioned, can overlook Autistic ways of thinking, feeling, and being, repeating deficit-based narratives that do more harm than good. Integrating clinical expertise, contemporary theory, and lived experience,this definitive book empowers professionals to deliver truly neurodiversity-affirmative care. Exploring key aspects of Autistic experience including interoception, masking, monotropism, and double empathy, this book offers practical strategies for adapting therapy, assessment, and service delivery. Through reflective exercises and practice insights, this book bridges theory and practice to support authentic, respectful clinical relationships. It offers mental health professionals a compassionate roadmap for genuine support and redefines what effective mental health support for Autistic people can, and should, look like.